


Metamorphosis

by germankitty



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Genre: Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-18
Updated: 2009-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-04 13:28:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 62,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/germankitty/pseuds/germankitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lord Zedd has it in for Tommy and tries to crush him via a potion that transforms him into a girl. He hasn't considered how far Tommy's best friend will go to save him, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Metamorphosis

_"Morph?" "Yes  metamorphosis!" "That means 'to change."  
Kim, Billy and Trini in "Day of the Dumpster"_

 

 

 

 

** _Prologue_ **

Lord Zedd was bored out of his bone-structurally-challenged  
skull. He had no idea what to do on this weekend, what monster to send  
to Earth that hadn't been overused a hundred times on different planets,  
what havoc to create for his hated foes ... in short, what to do about  
the Rangers. He'd figuratively cudgelled his exposed brain for days, just  
keeping up appearances by a Putty attack or two, but nothing, absolutely  
_nothing_  
came to mind that would help him defeat Zordon's brats. What spell hadn't  
he used, what means _could _he employ to destroy the Rangers in whichever  
way possible and win for once?

He didn't know. The Evil Being snorted. "A fine state  
of affairs," he muttered to himself. "Defeated by a bunch of children!  
Just what I accused that hag Rita of doing!"

Quickly, he looked around for his sidekicks. Thankfully,  
his personal Chamber was empty  it wouldn't do for Goldar or any of the  
others to learn how much this was bothering him. Zedd glowered, lighting  
up the immediate vicinity of his throne with a malevolent red shimmer.

"Something needs to be done!" Exasperated, the moon's  
ruler jumped up and strode towards his balcony overlooking the blue planet  
only one astronomical unit away. "I wonder what those High School Have-Beens  
are up to now? And if I can't use their activities against them?" He turned  
on his distant-vision, training his visor on Angel Grove. "Bah! Bo-o-rrr-ring!"  
Jason and Zack were practising their karate at the Youth Center, Billy  
and Trini were at the Cranstons' house, noses buried in the Blue Ranger's  
notes on his latest experiment, and Kimberly and Tommy ...

"Aah ... now _that_ might prove interesting!" Grinning  
maliciously, Lord Zedd settled down to watch the tallest and the tiniest  
members of Zordon's Ranger team. The sight was maybe not suitable to show  
him the way to their destruction, but nevertheless, it should be a nice  
diversion. "I just hope you're going to put on a good show for me, Tommy-boy,"  
he muttered. "I hadn't even realized you knew what to do with what you've  
got! And practically in public, too!" Zedd smirked lecherously behind his  
metal face grille as he perched comfortably on the balcony's railing, his  
hidden eyes never wavering from what he'd found. He was so absorbed, he  
didn't notice his four henchmen file into his throne room one after the  
other.

***

It was a warm summer evening; the sun had already set  
behind the mountains and the first stars were coming out, casting their  
mellow light on the Pink and White Ranger as they sat on a somewhat secluded  
bench in the park, kissing with gentle passion.

Tommy was leaning against the backrest, one arm supporting  
his petite girlfriend as she snuggled into his chest. Kim had swung her  
shapely legs up on the seat and was sitting almost at right angles to him,  
draped across his lap. Her hands were buried in his long hair and he sighed  
with pleasure as her lips caressed him, dusting tiny little kisses all  
over his face before she returned to his mouth. They felt so incredibly  
soft!

"Mmmmh, Kim," Tommy moaned as Kimberly explored his mouth  
with her own, twining her tongue gently with his. He couldn't resist the  
temptation and slipped deeper between her lips, thrusting softly into the  
wet warmth and calling forth an answering sound that sent his senses reeling.  
The White Ranger lost himself in the heat of the moment, feeling Kim do  
the same as her nicely-toned body became pliant in his arms. He pulled  
her even closer.

For her part, Kim was content to follow where Tommy led;  
she had missed him so while he'd been away at his uncle's cabin, recovering  
from the final loss of the Green Ranger Powers. Now that he was back, she  
was more in love with him than ever before, and she thoroughly enjoyed  
the fact that Tommy had seemed to miss her just as much. His kisses certainly  
were telling their own story! A part of her thrilled to his gentle possessiveness,  
but deep down, a feeling of uncertainty remained, fueled by her own insecurities  
and fears  and her mother's admonitions and warnings. Kim silenced that  
nagging little voice as she gave herself up to the sensations Tommy produced  
in her.

The two teenagers parted for breath after long minutes,  
and Kim smiled lovingly into Tommy's brown eyes as he traced her features  
with a calloused fingertip. She playfully nipped at the questing digit  
as it passed over her kiss-swollen lips, and Tommy's soft chuckle echoed  
in her ear as he bent once more to capture her mouth with his. She sighed  
in contentment, twining her arms around his neck and settling more comfortably  
against his strong chest. Tommy kissed her a bit more demandingly, and  
Kim gave in, all her attention focused on the taste and feel of his lips  
and tongue as they explored her mouth.

Tommy felt his senses spinning out of control as Kim arched  
against him, her soft breasts pressing into his chest. Almost without conscious  
thought, his right hand which was still cupping her cheek began to wander  
down the slender column of Kim's throat, caressing the soft skin with featherlight  
touches, circling a fingertip in the hollow of her throat just as his tongue  
was circling softly around its counterpart. When the only response was  
a deeper sigh, the young man became more daring, venturing further and  
further down until he reached the scoop neck of Kim's blouse, tracing the  
swell of her breasts with his hand.

The Pink Ranger drew in deep lungfuls of air as her mouth  
was released from the drugging kiss; it was almost too much what Tommy  
was doing to her! Finally she was able to drag her eyes open. She looked  
up; against the gathering darkness, she couldn't see much, but the affection  
and desire in Tommy's brown eyes were unmistakeable. Kim became aware of  
where exactly Tommy's hand was, and her breath hitched in her throat. The  
slight brushing of his fingertips against her sensitive skin sent pleasant  
chills down her spine, and Kim felt her nipples contract and her womanly  
core getting moist.

"Kim?"

Tommy's voice was slightly raspy, but Kim thought she  
knew where _that_ came from; she suspected her own would resemble  
a squeak more than anything else, were she to try and speak.

"Kimberly?"

She knew what Tommy was asking, and gave her permission  
with a slight nod. Both teens sighed in a mixture of relief and arousal  
as Tommy very carefully closed his hand over one soft mound, testing the  
warm weight through the fabric of her blouse and bra. Still, there was  
no way he could miss the throbbing little knot of hardened tissue that  
pressed against his palm.

"Oh Tommy," the girl sighed as he gently pinched her nipple  
while those wonderfully warm lips wandered down her neck, leaving a trail  
of moisture in their wake. She relaxed under Tommy's relatively unskilled  
caresses; Kim knew that he'd never been with a girl before, and a part  
of her thrilled at the thought that it was _she_ who tempted this  
strong, controlled young man to lower his barriers to such an extent that  
he would let her feel his own excitement. Kim had never let another boy  
take as many liberties with her person as she had Tommy, and hazily she  
wondered why it should feel so _right_, but all thought fled as Tommy  
licked gently across her cleavage, delving briefly into the valley between  
her breasts before he closed his lips gently over the aching peak.

Kim felt him wet the thin material of her blouse with  
his tongue, and the lace she wore underneath suddenly became scratchy and  
uncomfortable. Moaning softly, Kim pressed her boyfriend's head deeper  
into her bosom, squirming as she felt herself get hotter ... and wetter.  
Just as Tommy bit very carefully into the throbbing kernel of flesh and  
slipped his hand up her thigh towards her hiked-up skirt, Kim became aware  
that the ridge pulsating against her hip had to be Tommy's erection ...  
and reality came crashing in. Suddenly afraid of her own feelings, every  
reason _against_ doing what had felt so incredibly good only moments  
before raised their heads, and reluctantly Kimberly touched Tommy's cheek.

"Don't."

The softly-spoken word didn't really register at first,  
but the stiffening of the sexy body he held in his arms did; unwilling  
and unbelieving, Tommy raised his head from his delectable feast to look  
into his girlfriend's eyes.

"What's wrong, Kim? Am I hurting you?"

"N-no. Tommy, please ...."

The White Ranger closed his mouth over Kim's, once more  
hefting the soft swell he'd caressed before while his thumb flicked repeatedly  
over the hardened tip. He felt more than heard her moan and smiled to himself,  
proud that he could make Kim feel so good. However, when he released the  
sweet lips, her next words wiped the smile completely off his face.

"Tommy, stop. Please."

Bewildered, he let his hand glide off the tempting mound,  
straightening in his seat and pulling Kim closer.

"Why, Beautiful? Was something wrong?"

"No; oh, Tommy, that felt _sooo_ wonderful," Kim  
gushed somewhat embarrassedly, but determined to reassure her boyfriend.

"Then ... why? You know I wouldn't hurt you for the world!"

"I know that. It .... it's just ... Im not ready for  
that yet, I guess," Kim confessed, blushing slightly. "I ... it's not that  
I don't want to, or that I don't _like_ what you're doing to me, it's  
more like I _cant_. At least not yet."

Sighing, Tommy drew Kim's head against his shoulder. He  
was achingly hard; although he knew that probably nothing serious would  
have happened, he'd hoped that he might explore Kim's body, and that she  
would have touched him in return. He was excited enough that even a few  
fleeting strokes through his pants and underwear would've been sufficient  
to bring him off. Apparently, it wasn't going to come to that, though.  
However, there was no question at all of _not_ honoring Kim's feelings.  
If she wasn't ready to go beyond heavy petting, that was simply that. Loosening  
his embrace somewhat, Tommy mentally ran through a couple of mantras and  
a basic breathing exercise to calm himself down.

Sensing what he was doing, Kim sat up, reluctantly disentangling  
herself from Tommy's arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in a small voice, her own frustrated  
desires making her a little bit weepy.

"Hey, there's nothing you have to apologize for," Tommy  
soothed. "If you're not ready, that's that. I'm not going to lie to you  
 I want nothing more right now than to peel that top off of you and take  
your breast in my mouth or have you touch me, but you know I'd never force  
you, don't you?"

Kimberly blushed fiercely at Tommy's bold words, but she  
knew she could trust her boyfriend.

"I know. Maybe .... maybe next time?" she ventured hesitantly.

"Maybe," Tommy agreed, his voice husky with lingering  
arousal and emotion. He kissed Kim leisurely, but held back; if he let  
himself go too far, he wasn't sure he could stop himself again. When their  
mouths parted, he kissed her temple, then smiled into the doe eyes.

"Why don't I take you home? It's almost your curfew anyway,  
isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kim admitted, a little bit angry at her temerity  
now that the immediate situation was past and her own arousal had subsided  
somewhat. She was relieved to see, however, that Tommy looked just as warmly  
at her as usual. Apparently he really wasn't angry; a little bit disappointed  
perhaps, but well, so was she. Hand in hand, the two teens made their leisurely  
way through the darkened park to Tommy's car and to the Hart residence,  
where they used the remaining time until Kim had to be inside for a very  
long, involved good night ritual.

 

 

 

 

** _One_ **

Disgustedly, Lord Zedd turned away from the balcony of  
his lunar palace. He had just watched the accursed White Ranger masturbate  
in the shower, seeking solitary relief from his own hand since his girlfriend  
wouldn't give him what he so obviously craved.

"That nauseatingly noble fool! He has the Pink Ranger  
alone, aroused and ripe for plucking, and just because the little girl  
thinks she's 'not ready', he lets her go! Stupid! He should've just taken  
her when he had the chance -- any _real_ man would have! But that's  
Zordon's brats for you  always honoring others' desires, never just reaching  
for what should be theirs by right of strength and might. Bah!"

The Master of Evil stomped through his throne room, muttering  
angrily to himself. He remembered well the time when he had wanted to make  
the Pink Ranger his Queen  and that hadn't _just _been because she  
was a strong and courageous fighter, or because her disappearance from  
the ranks of the Rangers would have weakened the team of young heroes.  
No, if truth be told, Zedd had entertained some very detailed fantasies  
about beautiful Kimberly, all involving her willing or not-so-willing submission  
to his lust. Her consent wouldn't have mattered, anyway  the evil monarch  
had ways and means to ensure compliance in his partners, until they craved  
his attentions of their own accord. And the Pink Ranger's passionate nature  
would have made taking and destroying her innocence that much sweeter.

Zedd scowled behind his visor, glowering at his henchmen  
who skulked in the background. His skin was glowing faintly red, a sure  
sign that he was agitated, and all four of them knew better than to approach  
their master now.

_*If that bumbling fool Goldar hadnt screwed up the  
spell, luscious Kimberly could by now be warming my bed instead of stringing  
the White Ranger along!*_

Which brought him back to what he had just watched so  
avidly, only to be disappointed. Due to Tommy's ethics, he was even deprived  
of vicariously enjoying Kimberly's taking. Glowering, Zedd flung himself  
into his chair, drumming his metal-tipped fingers on an armrest.

"That bloody idiot should have joined me when he had the  
chance! I'd have made a true Man, a mighty Warrior of him, someone who  
_takes_  
what is his!" Zedd reiterated, still angry and frustrated at being thwarted.  
"He's no man! And I _wish_ there was a way I could prove that to him  
and the rest of the Power Pipsqueaks! Maybe _that _would be enough  
to bring them down at last!"

"Maybe there _is_ a way, my Master," an unctuous  
voice could be heard from the door.

"What?" Lord Zedd whirled around to glare at whoever had  
dared to speak uninvited. To his surprise, it was Baboo, who cowered before  
him, but for once with a crafty leer on his usually rather vapid face."What  
did you say?" Zedd demanded, curtly beckoning the stubby-winged henchbeast  
forward. He'd inherited the fawning bootlicker from Rita and only kept  
him around for mostly menial tasks, but in his present mood he didn't really  
care. Baboo hesitantly approached the granite-carved throne and looked  
somewhat anxiously at the malevolent ruler.

"I ... I might know of a way to show the Rangers that  
Tommy is not a 'real man', my Lord," he fawned. "In fact, I may be able  
to change him so he isn't a man at all anymore ..."

Zedd sat up, suddenly more than interested. He generally  
didn't put too much store in Baboo's abilities, but this was at least worth  
listening to. Mentally reviewing what he knew about the blue-furred alien,  
he remembered that in his heyday, before he had come to serve Rita, Baboo  
had been a gifted alchemist, brewing up the most delightfully evil potions  
for the various masters he'd served over the centuries. Even under Rita's  
inept leadership, he had succeeded once in turning two of the Rangers into  
nicely nasty punks, alienating them from their friends. If only Zordon  
hadn't known about the _deandra_ flowers ....! Well, that was water  
under the bridge, as the Humans would say. Maybe there was something to  
Baboo's claim, maybe there wasn't, but it certainly couldn't hurt to let  
the fool talk. Besides, _any_ plan to hurt, maim or cripple the accursed  
Power Rangers had to be better than no plan, right?

"What did you have in mind, cretin?" Zedd growled, unwilling  
to give away too much interest. "This had better be good!" he added warningly,  
for good measure.

"Yes, Master," Baboo simpered, casting a cautiously triumphant  
look at Goldar, who just scowled back. "Humans are a race with a double  
set of 23 chromosomes, making a total of 46. Each half comes from one parent  
 with both the mother and father supplying one set each. They combine  
randomly at the moment of conception, to form a new being, which therefore  
is a conglomeration, a mixture of genes from two differing backgrounds,"  
Baboo explained.

"I'm not interested in a biology lesson, idiot!" Zedd  
bellowed impatiently. Really, why did he have to be saddled with these  
bumbling fools? "What has that got to do with destroying the damned White  
Ranger?"

Baboo swallowed hard.

"Master, only two of these 46 chromosomes determine gender.  
A female has a double X chromosome, a male a combination of one X and one  
Y chromosome each. So, only the Y chromosome makes a male ...."

"And?" The Ruler of the Moon Palace asked, equally bored  
and impatient.

"I have a supply of _shanach_ herbs from the planet  
Muralis in my possession. If we could somehow make the White Ranger swallow  
a potion distilled of them  and some very interesting additives  it would  
leech the Y chromosome out of his very cells. Left with only one X chromosome,  
he would either die ... or, if you were to blast him with a slightly modified  
energy beam during battle, it would reduplicate the remaining gender-determining  
chromosome ...."

"...and turn Tommy into a girl!" Zedd cackled gleefully,  
catching on. "Excellent! I _like_ it! Let's see the Power Puffs deal  
with having a _girl_ as their almighty leader! I bet that arrogant  
Red Ranger, Jason, would just love _that_!"

Rubbing his hands in anticipation, Zedd leaned back on  
his throne, when a thought occurred to him.

"What about an antidote? And what if Zordon can detect  
the potion?"

"To my knowledge, there is only one way to reverse the  
effect of _shanach_," Baboo declared, an unholy gleam in his eyes.  
There _was_ in fact another way instead of what he was going to suggest,  
but it was so highly unlikely and unusual, forbidden even on the plants'  
planet of origin, and given the peculiar sensibilities of most Humans ...  
no, Baboo decided, his Master wouldn't need to know about such a solution.  
"If we were to wait a short period for the potion to take effect  no more  
than an hour or two at most  before blasting Tommy with the modified energy  
beam, it will make the herbs undetectable to standard scans until it's  
quite too late. And it takes a large amount of Y chromosomes extracted  
from another male of the same species to reverse the process, once it's  
complete. The only way, determined by the masters who taught me, of getting  
to those chromosomes is by taking them from a _living_ specimen   
stimulating the appropriate gonads and then cutting them off, to be boiled  
down and distilled into a solution that then will have to be injected in  
the tissue surrounding the reproductive organs of the altered male."

"Are you sure it has to be off a _live_ male?" Zedd  
grinned behind his visor, seeing how this might actually work.

"Yes, Your Evil Lordship; the chromosome-bearing cells  
have to be viable to work at all."

"Brilliant! Those stupid fools will _never_ mutilate  
another just to serve their own needs! Their precious 'honor' forbids it.  
And that means, goodbye Tommy, welcome Thomasina!" Zedd laughed, the sinister  
sound echoing around the vast chamber. "Get to it, Baboo! Make me that  
potion, and we'll finally have found a way to destroy the oh-so-pure White  
Ranger!"

Zedd walked to the balcony once more, looking down to  
Earth and seeking out Kimberly, asleep in her solitary, virginal bed.

"There will be no 'next time' for you and your precious  
Tommy, my pet," he all but purred. "You should have taken your chance for  
getting laid by him when it was within your grasp. Soon, it will be too  
late  for both of you!"

Chuckling to himself, the skinless Lord of Evil ordered  
Finster to adjust Goldar's sword into the energy weapon needed to complete  
his scheme and retired to his rooms, to contemplate the downfall of the  
White Ranger.

 

 

 

 

** _Two_ **

It was ridiculously easy for the denizens of the moon  
to divert the Rangers' attention the next Friday afternoon while they were  
hanging out at the Youth Center; a brief Putty attack, perfectly timed,  
called the team outside, and while the six teens took care of business  
with their usual efficiency, a disguised clay figure poured Baboo's nearly  
tasteless potion into Tommy's soda. The White Ranger didn't notice a thing  
as he thirstily downed his drink after their return; he only grimaced a  
bit as he emptied his glass.

"Something wrong?" Billy queried, noticing the slightly  
distasteful expression on the new team leader's face.

"Nah, it's nothing," Tommy dismissed his friend's concern.  
"I just hadn't realized this had gone so flat. Tastes a bit weird, is all.  
Guess I'd better stick to smoothies from now on."

"I hear you, man," Zack sighed overly dramatically. The  
others laughingly concurred, having had to cope with exactly the same problem  
more times than they cared to remember.

"You all packed for our camping trip tomorrow, Bro?" Jason  
idly asked his best friend as the Rangers relaxed once more into animated  
chatter.

"Sure," Tommy replied. "Since my folks are going out of  
town tonight, my mom insisted I get everything ready, except for the foodstuffs.  
But I can have those stowed within half an hour."

"Man, I wish we could all go," Zack said a bit enviously.  
"This would be such a great opportunity ... what with school closing down  
for three days next week, we'd have those _and_ the whole weekend!  
But since my parents are taking this chance to visit my uncle in St. Louis  
...." he shrugged. Truth to tell, the Black Ranger would've had a hard  
time deciding what he preferred, but since the choice wasn't his to make,  
he could grouse without feeling too bad about it. Besides, he _liked_  
his musician relative, and since Curtis would come with them, Zack was  
sure he was going to have a blast!

"What about the rest of you?" Jason offered generously  
after a brief exchange of looks with Tommy. "You're quite welcome to join  
us."

"I'm sorry to have to decline also," Billy demurred. "The  
Young Scientists of America Association are expecting members' contributions  
for the quarterly newsletter, and recent events have prevented me from  
typing up my article. This time off is exactly what I need to put the finishing  
touches on it."

"After all the hard work you put into getting into the  
club, I can understand why you wouldn't want to let them down," Jason readily  
agreed. The six friends all remembered how devastated Billy had been after  
almost failing to qualify.

"What about you, ladies?" he turned to the Pink and Yellow  
Rangers. Kim made a funny face at the suggestion.

"I'd love to, but my mom's been getting a bit freaky ever  
since Tommy and I started dating seriously." The petite girl blushed as  
her eyes met her boyfriend's. They clearly showed a mixture of affection,  
anxiety and apology, which Tommy understood all too well, mirroring his  
own jumble of feeling as they did. He _wanted_ a closer, more intimate  
relationship with Kim and knew she felt the same, but they were both very  
much aware of how big a step they were contemplating  and neither was  
_quite_  
sure if now was the right time for them.

"She won't let me go away overnight on things like that  
with you guys anymore. As if Tommy and I would have a chance to do _anything_  
with anybody else there!" Kim's frustration and exasperation were all-too-audible  
in her slightly petulant tone. Tommy thought her pouty expression adorable,  
and soothingly grasped a slender hand, to lift it against his cheek and  
caress the back with his thumb.

A slightly embarrassed silence fell briefly around the  
table; while Kim and Tommy usually were openly affectionate with each other  
around their friends, they had been rather reticent about more intimate  
exchanges except in privately shared confidences ... with Trini and Jason  
respectively.

To break the suddenly sexually charged mood, Trini adopted  
a comically regretful tone.

"And since Kim isn't allowed to go, I'm not, either. I  
think my folks are afraid you guys couldn't resist if I tried my womanly  
wiles on you!" She exaggeratedly batted her eyelashes at the boys.

The resultant snickers were exactly what Trini had hoped  
for. She was not normally so suggestive, but ever since Kim and Tommy had  
become a couple, there had been some kind of ... _awareness_ ... among  
the Rangers that pulled them even closer ... and at the same time drove  
them slightly apart. It was as if the teens had suddenly collectively discovered  
that some members of their tightly-knit little group were of the opposite  
gender  and quite attractive, to boot. No-one wanted their closeness and  
friendship marred by acting on these sudden attractions, however, so they  
sought outlets for their bubbling hormones elsewhere. Richie and Angela  
were the primary beneficiaries of this circumstance, and even the Blue  
Ranger had been known to comment on one or the other attractive female  
schoolmate to his friends. The only one seemingly unaffected was Jason,  
who turned sparkling dark eyes on his best friend and grinned mischievously.

"Yeah, right," the Red Ranger laughed. "As Kim said, even  
if we _wanted_ suddenly to jump each others' bones, I'd rather do  
that without an audience!" He waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated leer  
at both his male and female teammates, cracking them all up.

The six friends turned their attention towards other things  
then, discussing everything and nothing as usual, until their lively conversation  
was suddenly interrupted by a familiar six-tone chime. Retiring to a quiet  
corner in the hallway, Jason checked in with their ancient mentor, beating  
Tommy to it by a fraction of a second. Smiling his apologies at the new  
team leader, he lifted his communicator to his mouth.

"We read you, Zordon. What's up?"

"Rangers, Goldar and a band of Putties have appeared in  
the park, near the playground. You must make sure they will not harm any  
innocent citizens."

"Got it. We're on our way!" Tommy grinned as Jason assumed  
command out of habit. He didn't mind too much; he wasn't quite comfortable  
with the way Zordon had handed the Rangers' leadership to him, although  
Jason had assured him it was no big deal. They were friends, he'd said  
with his customary warm smile and a firm handclasp. Friends followed each  
other, neither one only leading or following. Tommy was grateful for Jason's  
acceptance and understanding, feeling that their already-tight friendship  
became closer still. For the time being, the Red and White Rangers unofficially  
shared their duties, working together efficiently and well.

A glance was enough, and as one the Rangers teleported  
out in a rainbow of colored lights. Once in the park, they quickly spotted  
the golden-armored henchmonster, and started to fight the clay hordes.  
It soon became obvious that this attack was much more serious than the  
previous one, and on a shouted order from Tommy, the Rangers morphed into  
their uniforms, battling on with greater strength and ability.

"Is it just me, or does anyone else get the feeling there's  
no real point to this?" Zack asked the air in general as he dispatched  
of three Putties in succession with perfectly-executed snap kicks.

"This is indeed almost too easy," Billy agreed, neatly  
backflipping over another of Zedd's footsoldiers. "It seems as if they  
were just trying to draw us out."

"Yeah, but why?" Kim huffed as a well-placed elbow to  
the Z spot shattered one more Putty. "Couldn't they just leave us alone  
for once? We already had our daily dose of claybrains earlier today!"

"I'm sure Jason and Tommy don't agree," the Yellow Ranger  
commented, slamming a grey chittering creature into a tree and drawing  
her friends' attention to a furious display of excellent swordsmanship  
between the two remaining Rangers and the winged monster. Even so, the  
fight had an aura of unreality to it, as if Goldar was waiting for ....  
_something_.  
Nevertheless, he was dodging and parrying both Jason's Power Sword and  
Tommy's Saba with amazing skill. Neither of the three fighters could gain  
the upper hand, until Jason stumbled over a patch of torn-up turf. He regained  
his footing almost immediately, but it gave Goldar the opening he needed.  
He sprang back, out of Saba's reach, and leveled the tip of his sword against  
Tommy's white-uniformed figure.

"Take this, White Ranger! With compliments from Lord Zedd!"

Before Tommy could react, a beam of virulent green energy  
hit him full force, and he was thrown back several yards. Kims shriek  
of "TOMMY!!" mingled with Jason's bellow of rage, Tommy's moan of pain  
and Goldar's raucous laughter as he teleported away with the remaining  
Putties. Almost as soon as it had begun, the fight was over, leaving five  
worried Rangers gathered around their fallen leader.

"Let's get to the Command Center, guys," Jason ordered  
curtly, slipping an arm under Tommy's shoulders.

As soon as the teens reformed in their hidden command  
post, Jason powered down and quickly removed Tommy's helmet. He felt a  
rush of relief as the brown eyes opened and looked at him somewhat dazedly.

"I'm okay, guys," the White Ranger assured his anxious  
friends, demorphed and scrambled to his feet. He smiled as Kimberly wormed  
her way under his arm, gazing worriedly into her boyfriend's face.

"Are you sure, Tommy? That energy beam hit you full force."

"I'm fine, Beautiful," Tommy stated once more, but he  
didn't object when Alpha and Billy insisted on doing a full body scan,  
just to be on the safe side. It turned up nothing more serious than slight  
exhaustion and somewhat elevated synapse activity  a phenomenon that the  
Rangers had dubbed 'MBS' a long time ago as an acronym for 'morph-and-battle-syndrome'.  
It was something they were all subject to after summoning their Powers,  
and it usually cleared up within a couple of hours.

"Well, looks like you're really okay," the Blue Ranger  
summarized their findings as he stowed the portable scanner back into its  
holding place. "Zordon, you're _positive_ there was no spell energy  
in Goldar's blast? The color was quite unusual."

"Yeah; I've never seen such a sick shade of green in my  
life," Kimberly shuddered. She hugged Tommy once more, who gladly returned  
her embrace.

"Maybe old Monkey-Face wasn't feeling too well and his  
color was a bit off," he joked lamely, eliciting groans from all of his  
friends.

"You _have_ to be okay, or you wouldn't be making  
such _sick_ jokes," Jason decided, to louder groans mingled with reluctant  
laughter. "C'mon, guys  if there's nothing else going on, we might as  
well go back." The former team leader looked a question at their mentor,  
but Zordon just smiled a bit wistfully at his young charges and sent them  
on their way with admonitions to Tommy to report in immediately if he felt  
any aftereffects of the energy blast. The Eltarian had a suspicion that  
all wasn't as fine as it appeared, but since the routine scans had showed  
nothing .....

"Alpha, maybe we'd better schedule a more in-depth examination  
of Tommy's condition for tomorrow. It never hurts to be careful."

"I'll prepare the scanners right away, Zordon," the little  
android replied. "Ai-yi-yi, I hope Lord Zedd is not trying to put Tommy  
under a spell _again_," he sighed as he started to bustle away.

***

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Bro?" Jason worriedly  
asked Tommy as he noticed his friend's slightly pained expression for the  
third or fourth time. Tommy wasn't moving with his customary fluid grace,  
but seemed unusually distracted, as if he was listening inside himself  
for .... what?

"Yeah, worrywart." Tommy grinned as he dabbed at his sweat-streaked  
face, neck and shoulders with a towel. He nevertheless couldn't suppress  
a sigh as he sat down next to the Red Ranger to finish his smoothie and  
sandwich. The two boys had worked out some and wanted to cool down before  
hitting the showers.

"I'm just a bit achy all over. It's as if I'm getting  
the flu, or something  you know the feeling?"

"Do I ever," Jason admitted. "Man, when that bug hit me  
last spring, I cheerfully wanted to die for a couple of days. That's how  
you feel?"

"Sorta. Maybe Goldilocks _was_ sick after all, and  
passed whatever bug bit him on to me!"

The Red Ranger groaned.

"I'm _not_ gonna sit here and listen to your sick  
humor all night," he said with a slight smirk. "Come on, if we want to  
get an early start into the mountains tomorrow, we'd better call it a night."  
In a gesture that had become almost second nature to both of them, he firmly  
squeezed Tommy's shoulder and let his concern for his best friend show  
briefly in his night-dark eyes. Tommy touched the back of the warm hand  
fleetingly and smiled his thanks, grateful as always to have found a friendship  
like this with his one-time rival.

"Right. I just hope Zedd is gonna leave us alone for once."

"If not, we're only a communicator call away," Jason commented  
dismissively as they gathered their belongings. "Even if it's going to  
be hard to reach us in the mountains because of this stupid interference  
problem Billy couldn't lick yet, I'm still going to take mine along."

"I thought we wanted to have a true off-duty trip?"

The former team leader shrugged. "I'm not going to _wear_  
it, just ..."

"Just in case, you mean?"

"Uh huh."

"Right. Good thinking."

The two young men joked and bantered with each other through  
their showers and made their way to their respective homes, awash with  
anticipation for their five-day camping trip the next morning. They had  
planned to take Tommy's car to a campground/parking lot in the State Forest  
and hike from there to a more secluded location, for once really 'roughing  
it' with only a small tent, sleeping bags and a camp stove; water would  
come from a nearby stream Jason had fished in with his uncle a few weeks  
before. Both readied their backpacks and as much food as they thought they'd  
need, Jason leaving his right next to the front door and Tommy stowing  
his already into the trunk of his car. Then, both went to bed, storing  
energy for their trip.

***

Tommy spent a restless night tossing and turning in his  
bed, but never quite waking up. The persistent ache in his body seemed  
to crest, then subside during the wee hours of the night, and the White  
Ranger finally sank into a deep sleep, only to be yanked rudely awake by  
the insistent shrill of his alarm clock. Silencing the blaring sound, Tommy  
briefly buried his head under his pillows, terribly tempted to just roll  
over and go back to sleep. However, he knew that Jason was not above teleporting  
over and throwing a glass of ice water into his face if he didn't get his  
butt into gear, so ....

Muttering sleepily to himself about the idiocy of getting  
up at the crack of dawn (at seven o'clock, it was hardly that, but Tommy  
didn't much care; he was _tired_, and wanted nothing more than to  
crawl back into bed and dream about Kim some more) and the stubbornness  
of best friends with the ability to talk a person into actually _agreeing_  
to getting up at said ungodly hour, the long-haired teen pulled his tee  
over his head and flung it haphazardly back into his room as he padded  
out into the hallway, leaving him clad only in a pair of old green boxers  
that had long been relegated to sleepwear.

Only marginally awake, Tommy passed the open door of the  
master bedroom on his way to the bathroom. Out of the corner of his still  
half-shut eyes, he noted with appreciation the reflection of a half-naked  
girl in the full-length dresser mirror.

_*She certainly **looks** good enough, even fresh  
out of bed,*_ he thought, feeling both a twinge  
of purely masculine appreciation at the sight of sleep-mussed, long brown  
hair and full, swaying breasts and of slight guilt towards his petite girlfriend,  
who looked nothing like the tall girl he'd just seen in his parents' bedroom.  
Suddenly, Tommy jerked to a full stop, all senses alert and quite awake  
now.

_*Waitaminute... theres no-one in the house but me  
... I dont even **know** someone who looks like that, much less someone  
who would walk around here naked ... dressed only in ... green ... shorts  
...*_

Filled with a terrible sense of dread, Tommy retraced  
his last couple of steps, pausing at the open door. He dared not glance  
down his own body, desperately wanted _not_ to look inside and face  
the mirror, but knew that he had to. His heart was racing and his mouth  
was dry as the White Ranger drew a deep, fortifying breath, closed his  
eyes and stepped around the corner into the sunlit room. Tommy could feel  
the warming rays of the morning sun on his naked chest as he just stood  
there for a few moments, gathering his courage. Opening his eyes again  
was the hardest thing he'd ever done, even harder than facing the Rangers  
after Jason had broken Rita's original spell over him, or screwing up his  
courage to kiss Kimberly for the first time, but he made himself do it.  
Staring at his reflection in the polished silver surface for a long, long  
time, only one thought beat in Tommy's mind ...

"Oh. My. God."

 

 

 

 

** _Three_ **

The Rangers teleported in to the Command Center one by  
one, mostly still in various stages of sleepwear. Only Jason and Zack were  
fully dressed, since both were ready to leave on their respective trips  
within the next couple of hours.

They looked around curiously, not knowing what to think  
since for once the monster alarms werent blaring, nor was the Viewing  
Globe activated. Tommy stood with his back to them, dressed not for hiking  
like Jason, but in soft grey sweats and a loose white t-shirt. He was gripping  
the edge of a console with both hands and his head was bowed  a posture  
that made Kim and Jason exchange worried glances.

"What's up, Zordon? Is it Zedd again?" Jason tried not  
to let his sudden sense of unease show in his voice.

"Not this time, Rangers," the Interdimensional Being intoned  
solemnly. "Or more precisely, he has already done his damage."

"What has Radiator Face done _now_?" Kim asked exasperatedly,  
slightly miffed that Tommy hadn't

come to her to greet her yet, nor even acknowledged her  
presence.

"This," a soft contralto voice said, at the same time  
strange and eerily familiar. Drawing a deep breath into his suddenly starved  
lungs, Tommy turned around and faced his fellow Rangers.

"Oh. My. God."

Later, nobody could have said who had uttered the exclamation,  
precisely mirroring Tommy's earlier reaction. The Rangers stared slack-jawed  
at the altered appearance of the White Ranger. While still tall and slim,  
with shoulder-length mahogany locks and chocolate eyes, there were a lot  
of subtle changes that signalled quite clearly that the person standing  
before them definitely was _not_ the Tommy they knew  and yet he  
was. Gone were the smooth muscles and angular features, the hard, defined  
chest and deeply-bronzed skin. In their stead, the five teens saw a tall  
girl with a knockout figure, slender but with generous curves in all the  
right places; a face that was striking rather than pretty and skin that  
was tanned a lighter shade than they were used to and looked incredibly  
soft. There was still a sense of easy strength about the changed Ranger,  
but it was more subdued, Yin to its former Yang, exuding soft femininity  
where before Tommy had been all male.

Kim was the first to react. Wide-eyed with shock, she  
stepped up to her boyfriend and stared helplessly into his eyes. The expression  
she read there was all-too familiar, and convinced her as nothing else  
could have done that this girl was indeed Tommy. Tears flooded her eyes  
as she hesitantly placed a hand on the White Ranger's chest, jerking back  
as if stung when her palm met not hard muscles, but the soft swell of unbound  
breasts.

"Oh God, Tommy  what has Zedd done to you?" she choked,  
torn between wanting to throw herself into his arms and between distancing  
herself from this new person. She stayed where she was, close, but not  
touching. Her hesitancy didn't go unnoticed, and the flash of hurt in Tommy's  
eyes finally let her tears overflow.

"I ... I'm sorry, Tommy," Kim sobbed. "I ... I _want_  
to hug you, I really do, but ... but this is just too weird!"

"I understand, Beautiful," Tommy murmured, reaching out  
in a familiar gesture to caress Kim's cheek and wipe her tears away. He  
could never stand to see her cry. At his touch, Kimberly's tears came faster;  
while she recognized the move, it _felt_ all wrong, with Tommy's hand  
now being so much smaller and more smooth-skinned than she was used to.  
She tried to smile through her tears, but couldn't pull it off; pain in  
every line of her body, she blushed fiercely with embarrassment and stepped  
back, out of Tommy's reach.

"I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly, then collapsed weeping  
in Trini's arms.

The three boys had watched the small scene with a growing  
sense of dismay and outrage. This thing that Zedd had done to the White  
Ranger disturbed something fundamental within each of them, a sense of  
self and identity that nothing and nobody had been able to touch so far.  
It was far more complex than adjusting to the fact that Tommy now apparently  
was a girl; every one of them still got the familiar feel of Tommy's personality,  
but to find that his very masculinity had been taken away made them _very_  
uncomfortable.

Finally, Jason recovered his wits enough to speak.

"Was it that energy blast from Goldar?"

Zordon sighed; he should have expected that the Red Ranger  
would cut right through to the heart of the matter. Knowing Jason as he  
did, the Eltarian was aware that he had to curb his tendency to assume  
responsibility right now.

"Yes and no, Jason. This latest plan of Lord Zedd to defeat  
or at least weaken the Rangers apparently was two-fold. Tommy has been  
given a distillation of Muralisan _shanach_ herbs and a variety of  
other ingredients  a concoction that attacks the very DNA of most humanoid  
species, specifically the gender-determining parts. Since Earth Humans  
have diploid chromosomes, it has literally drawn the Y chromosomes out  
of Tommy's genetic makeup."

Tommy grimaced. "I'd bet anything he put something into  
my soda," he surmised with sudden insight. "That Putty attack earlier yesterday  
must have been a diversion to give Zedd the chance to doctor my drink.  
That's probably also why it tasted so funny."

"If it tasted funny, why did you finish it?" Zack asked  
reasonably.

"I thought it had just gone flat, and besides, I was thirsty,"  
Tommy shrugged, a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

The Rangers digested this information, trying to recall  
their Human Biology lessons from last term. Nobody was surprised when Billy  
spoke  
up first.

"But Zordon, Tommy would not be able to survive with only  
45 chromosomes; there have been documented instances of tripled chromosomes  
 like Down's Syndrome, which is sometimes also called Trisomy 21  but  
I know of no case where someone with _missing_ chromosomes was _not  
_showing  
dramatic genetic defects."

"Getting turned into a girl overnight isn't dramatic?"  
Zack murmured flippantly to Trini, but only got a chiding look in return.  
He had the grace to blush slightly.

"That's why Lord Zedd also blasted Tommy with a modified  
energy beam, Rangers," Alpha piped up. "He waited just long enough for  
the _shanach_ to start working, and altered the effect by changing  
Tommy's Y chromosomes to X ..."

"... and thereby turning him into a genetically correct  
female," Billy concluded with a sigh, understanding.

"That is correct, Rangers," Zordon's voice boomed through  
the Command Center.

"But why didn't it show up on the scans, Zordon?" Kims  
voice was still watery with her tears, but just knowing there was an explanation  
for Tommy's transformation made the situation seem not quite so hopeless.

"I would speculate that he has foreseen the possibility  
and made his potion undetectable to standard examination. We only found  
out about it when Tommy came here in his altered state and Alpha ran scans  
on the deepest molecular level."

"Zedd's getting more devious," Tommy remarked somewhat  
clinically to Jason.

"Yeah; it's way beyond his standard 'Make a monster/blow  
it up' tactics," the Red Ranger agreed, both leaders starting to think  
in terms of strategy again now that the first shock was past. On the heels  
of that came the next question.

"Okay, Zordon  what do we have to do to turn Tommy back?"

"Right; no offense, girls, but I really would like to  
be _me_ again," Tommy added, smiling at Kim.

"I am afraid it is not that easy, Tommy," Zordon said,  
his voice laced with regret. "According to our databanks, there is only  
one known remedy to counteract_ shanach_, and that is extraction  
of a vast amount of viable Y chromosomes off a living member of the same  
species  in your case another Human male  and saturating your body with  
them from the inside out, starting with your reproductive organs. There  
is strong evidence that the same method would effect a reverse metamorphosis  
in you, changing the artificially-created X chromosome back to Y."

"So we all contribute," Zack shrugged. "That way, no one  
has to give up too much, and I'm sure Billy can find a way to get 'em into  
you."

Zordon hated to wipe out the expression of hope that spread  
across his Chosens' faces, but he had no choice.

"I am sorry, Zack, but it is better  and safer  if it  
all came from the same person .... and the amount necessary would result  
either in what is essentially castration, or death for the individual."

"C-castration?" Trini gulped. Out of the corner of her  
eyes she could see the sudden pallor spreading over the face of every male  
Ranger, including Tommy. Not that she could blame them.

"Yes," Zordon confirmed grimly. Before the ancient sage  
could go on, Tommy burst forth.

"No way!"

He took a few steps and turned so that he could face both  
Zordon and his friends.

"I ... I don't _want_ to stay like this, and Heaven  
knows how we're gonna be able to explain this, but I _will not_ do  
anything to endanger anyone's life, or do _that_ to any one of you!"

Tommy's voice was hoarse, and there was a somewhat wild  
look in his brown eyes, but the Rangers heard and accepted the steely determination  
in his tone. They knew they all shared Tommy's feelings in this.

"Is there no other way, Zordon?" Kimberly asked, desperately  
fighting to choke back more tears. Crying would help no-one now.

"I know of no other, Rangers. I am sorry." Zordon's voice  
sounded very final, and for long minutes, the six teens stared wordlessly  
at each other, while both Kim and Jason touched Tommy reassuringly. The  
White Ranger smiled at his best friend and girlfriend, grateful for their  
support, but trying very hard not to give in to his growing desperation.  
How was he going to explain his metamorphosis to his parents  at school?  
The secret identities of the team would be placed in jeopardy if his involvement  
with the Rangers became known, as he was sure it would. And what about  
his relationship with the Pink Ranger? Despite his being changed into a  
girl, Tommy had only to look at Kim to know he still was in love with her  
as much as ever  and he still wanted her. However, he could not, dared  
not hope that Kim might want _him_ in his altered state. Tommy sighed  
silently. *_Damn Zedd, anyway!*_

With a sudden, explosive movement, Billy jumped up from  
his perch against a console and started to pace, startling everyone.

"This is impossible!" the normally quiet, reserved Blue  
Ranger exclaimed, exasperated over his own inability to find a solution  
to Tommy's dilemma. "Rita and Zedd have thrown monsters and spells of every  
description at us over the last year, and we have _always_ been able  
to defeat them  not only by using our Powers, or the Zords, but also most  
importantly by using our _brains_. There _has_ to be way to help  
Tommy  we can't just let Zedd win!"

"You're right, Billy," Jason agreed, somewhat surprised  
that this argument came from the team genius  normally it was he who rallied  
the others not to give up. "But where do we start?"

The others gathered closer as they looked with renewed  
hope at their bespectacled friend; it was obvious from his frown and restless  
movements that his brilliant mind was already hard at work.

"First, we recall _everything_ we've ever learned  
about Human biology  especially genetics," Billy declared. "Zordon, is  
there some way we can access the university library for information? I'm  
afraid our textbooks from school won't go deeply enough into the matter."

"I'll set up a link to their computer system right away,  
Billy," Alpha piped up, eager to help.

Within a few minutes Billy, Trini and the others were  
rooting through the information provided, downloading any and all facts  
that might be helpful into the databanks, where Alpha correlated them into  
one large file, sorted and cross-referenced. Then, he handed Billy the  
printout, knowing that the Human would be able to assimilate the really  
pertinent data much more quickly than an android brain could.

"What's the verdict, Billy?" Tommy asked the Blue Ranger  
as he watched his friend frown over the sheaf of papers.

"I'm not sure," Billy murmured, still engrossed in checking  
the results of their efforts. "Biology is not exactly my forte, as you  
know, but there are certain facts I needed to review to get everything  
clear in my mind. However, I believe I have found at least _some _answers."  
The teen drew a deep breath and waited for the gang to gather around him.  
Once he had everybody's attention, he summarized the findings.

"Well, we know from what Zordon has told us that Tommy  
will need a vast amount of Y chromosomes which will have to be extracted  
from another Human male. That automatically excludes the two of you," he  
said with an apologetic smile to Trini and Kimberly. The Pink Ranger's  
eyes filled with tears again and she reached for Tommy's hand, looking  
up into the still-familiar brown eyes.

"Tommy, I ..." she stammered, too upset to continue.

"Hey, Beautiful, it's okay," the White Ranger soothed.  
"It's not your fault. I know you'd help me any way you could, if it were  
possible."

Kim gave Tommy a wobbly smile, but didn't speak; she couldn't  
trust her voice that far. It was _not _okay, not by a long shot, although  
it was sweet of Tommy to say so. The whole bizarreness of the situation  
was getting to her more than to anybody else, excluding Tommy, of course.

Billy cleared his throat to recall the Rangers' attention  
to the analysis.

"As I was going to say, since we can't very well involve  
anyone from the outside, there's only Jason, Zack and myself who are in  
a position to help Tommy. It shouldn't really matter which one of us actually  
will donate cells, since no other genetic information except gender-determination  
will be assimilated. However, the problem remains that we simply cannot  
extract enough haploid chromosome-bearing cells without destroying the  
gonads where they are produced."

"I thought Humans had diploid cells?" Zack asked, confused.  
"Since all our cells carry a double strand of chromosomes ..."

"Not _all_ cells, Zack," Trini answered. "The reproductive  
cells are haploid, since they combine during conception."

"Reproductive cells?" Kim reiterated. "That would be ...  
which?" Kim's interest had always been in Botany, not the other aspects  
of Biology.

"For us, it's the ova," Trini explained. "For men, it's  
... sperm." She blushed slightly; despite their close friendship, their  
carefree banter and the clinical term, it wasn't exactly easy for the Yellow  
Ranger to discuss this in front of the guys.

The young men blushed as well; it was quite different  
to study these facts for a test than to talk about them in relation to  
themselves. Or at least to one of them.

"Sperm is produced within the testicles; while we do have  
the wherewithal to temporarily increase the production of Y-chromosome-bearing  
spermata, in the process we would destroy the gonads themselves. The tissue  
is just too sensitive to withstand the kind of stimulation needed; besides,  
the process would increase body temperature, and to be viable at all, sperm  
needs a temperature slightly _below_ normal body heat. Which is why  
the testicles are situated outside the body cavity, despite being more  
vulnerable."

Only by adopting his most dry, clinical tone was Billy  
able to deliver this information without stammering. He still sported a  
deep flush, though, indicating his embarrassment.

The teens looked at each other helplessly. The situation  
seemed hopeless .... they had a problem, they even knew what to do to solve  
it, but they also knew that the solution was one they couldn't implement  
in good conscience. Tommy's shoulders slumped and he was about to turn  
away, not to let his friends see the despair in his eyes, but something  
in Jason's face caught his attention. The Red Ranger's forehead was crunched  
up in concentration, and he was staring intently at nothing.

"Jase?"

Tommy's voice recalled Jason to his surroundings. Crossing  
his arms, he began to pace around the Command Center.

"We're overlooking something here," he murmured. "No offense,  
Billy, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something very simple  
and obvious we're just not seeing."

"None taken, Jason," the team genius said, intrigued almost  
against his will. He knew his facts, but he also trusted Jason's instincts.  
Besides, while Jason was certainly nowhere in his own league intellectually,  
it was no accident that he was among the six best students in class. He  
just wasn't that interested in learning for learning's sake, as Billy was,  
and preferred athletic pursuits to more mentally stimulating activities.  
If Jason thought they should investigate further, they'd better do so.

"But what?" Zack asked. The Black Ranger was getting slightly  
nervous; he knew he had to get back to his home soon or he would have to  
field a lot of uncomfortable questions about his whereabouts from his family  
if he were not present at departure time. On the other hand, he was unwilling  
to leave Tommy and his friends hanging if there was something he could  
do to help.

"What exactly have we got?" Jason asked rhetorically.  
"Billy, can we just have the bare facts one more time?"

"Sure." Billy thought for a moment. Then, he summarized  
their conundrum to the barest minimum.

"Tommy needs Y chromosomes, which have to be extracted  
from the testicles of another living man. We can't extract them by artificial  
means because we would destroy the organs in the process."

Jason's eyes lit up. "That's it," he exclaimed.

"Huh?" The exclamation came simultaneously from several  
of the Rangers.

"That's _what_, Jason?" Billy asked cautiously. He  
knew that Jason and Tommy were very close and that Jason would do _anything_  
to help Tommy ... had his best friend's predicament clouded his judgement?

"You said we can't get to the whatchamacallits ... the  
sperm ... artificially, right?"

"Right," Billy agreed, still not seeing where Jason was  
going.

"Well, what about naturally?" The dark-haired teen looked  
at the Blue Ranger expectantly.

"Naturally? How would you ... oh!" Billys mouth snapped  
abruptly shut and he blushed beet-red.

"How's that possible?" Kim wondered, renewed hope in her  
eyes and voice. Trini shrugged, mystified. The girls looked at the male  
Rangers and noticed to their astonishment that all of them sported various  
shades of red on their countenances.

"Billy? Jason?" Trini asked, bewildered. There was no  
reason she could see, but she would have bet her Zord the guys were ...  
embarrassed?

"Tommy? What's wrong?" Kim asked her changed boyfriend,  
as confused as the Yellow Ranger.

Tommy awkwardly cleared his throat. For the life of him,  
he couldn't meet Kimberly's eyes as he mumbled an explanation the girls  
had to strain their ears to understand.

"I ... I think he means ... masturbating."

"Wha --- oh!" Kim and Trini colored up as well. The silence  
among the teens grew to near unbearable proportions until Zordon chose  
to break it.

"While in theory Jason's solution seems workable, we just  
don't have the technology to make it happen," he unhappily informed the  
Rangers. "The genetic material involved is just too susceptible to outward  
influences, such as even minute changes in temperature. Besides, it is  
specifically the Y chromosomes which are the most sensitive. If we had  
more time, we could _possibly_ adapt some of the technology we have  
at our disposal, but even if we diverted all of the Command Center's resources  
to this, it would still take several weeks. After that long an interval,  
Tommy's condition would have become irreversible."

"Well, what if we did it naturally all the way?" Jason  
asked doggedly. "You said that the genetic material would have to be administered  
from the inside out anyway ..."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Jason?" Billy queried.  
He thought he was beginning to get the picture, and while the scientist  
in him was already thinking the problem through, the teenaged boy within  
the Blue Ranger was totally incredulous.

The former leader couldn't help the blush that seemed  
to rise up from his toes, almost matching his face to his shirt, but he  
wouldn't let something inconsequential like total mortification stand in  
the way of helping his best friend and teammate. He drew a deep breath.  
Squarely meeting Tommy's eyes, Jason dropped his bombshell.

"I'm suggesting that it might just be possible to change  
you back if ... if you would sleep with one of us."

The stunned silence that followed Jason's proposal was  
deafening in its intensity.

 

 

 

 

** _Four_ **

"You've _got_ to be kidding!"

Zack was the first to recover his wits. Over the course  
of his friendship with Jason, the broad-shouldered teen had come up with  
some pretty outrageous things for them to do, not the least of which had  
brought them all to accept their Ranger Powers, but this absolutely had  
to take the cake.

"Please tell me you're not seriously suggesting that you,  
me or Billy have sex with Tommy!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Jason retorted, still  
fighting his blush, but with a determined look on his face. "If it's the  
only way to change him back ..."

"Yeah, but man, Tommy's a _guy_!"

"Right now, I'm not," Tommy interjected quietly. While  
all of his friends' cheeks were still flaming, he had paled considerably.  
The very idea about becoming intimate with another man was appaling; not  
out of prejudice, just for _him_, Tommy ... but something deep inside  
himself told him that Jason had indeed hit on the one, the _only _possible  
solution to his predicament. He glanced up at Zordon. Their ancient mentor  
seemed deep in thought as he pondered the situation.

"Zordon?"

Tommy hated the sound of his own voice; it was nice enough,  
he supposed, warm and slightly husky, but it just wasn't _his_. The  
White Ranger found himself unable to look at any of his teammates, even  
though he could feel Kimberly's eyes on him. Most notably, though, he avoided  
the dark eyes of his best friend.

Billy looked up briefly from a computer console where  
he was already deftly feeding data into various programs. The sophisticated  
machines started to beep, blink and whir.

"Zordon, if you would check the osmotic feedback parameters  
... I think there is something ... if we could come up with a way to increase  
the permeability of the membranes and simultaneously stimulate the production  
of ..." his voice was lost in increasingly technical mutterings as Human  
genius, android and extraterrestrial sage conferred.

The remaining five Rangers used the respite to compose  
themselves. Blushes gradually subsided, and Kimberly sidled up to Tommy.  
She slipped a small hand into his.

"Do you think you could do it?" she queried anxiously,  
torn between hope and dismay.

Tommy forced a smile for her benefit and gave her fingers  
a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll do what I have to, to get back to normal," he admitted,  
making his decision. "It's not just me personally and my situation; there's  
also the Rangers to consider, my folks ... and you." He drew Kim to the  
side, out of earshot of the other Rangers. Placing his hands on the slender  
shoulders, he gazed earnestly into her soft brown orbs.

"Kim ... I don't want to lose you. You mean too much to  
me, and even if you were willing to accept me as I'm now, there's just  
no way we could be together if I stayed like this."

The petite girl grinned wryly.

"Yeah. My mom is freaky enough about us getting together  
with you being a guy; if I told her suddenly I was going to go out with  
another girl ... she'd have me shipped off to my aunt in Illinois faster  
than I could say 'morphinominal'. Besides ... no offense, Tommy, but ..."  
she blushed again, glancing furtively at his chest, where the outline of  
generous mounds was clearly visible. In the cool, air-conditioned Command  
Center, Tommy's nipples had contracted and pressed against the thin white  
fabric of his t-shirt in small hard peaks. Her own were often in a similar  
state, but usually hidden by her bra  a garment she'd bet her Power Coin  
Tommy had never even thought about when he got dressed.

"I understand, Beautiful," he murmured, oblivious to the  
direction her thoughts were taking. "I ... it's almost the same when I  
think of doing it with one of the guys. But I know I must, if it's the  
only way. And somehow, don't ask me how, I just _know_ this is going  
to work." Tommy drew a deep breath. He wanted very much to kiss Kim, to  
reassure her and himself that their feelings were still the same as yesterday,  
but didn't quite dare. He did pull her into a gentle, undemanding embrace,  
however. After a momentary hesitation, he felt Kim's arms snake around  
his waist, and he was marginally able to relax.

"It's just ..." he let his voice trail off, unsure if  
he should tell the Pink Ranger what was on his mind.

"What, Tommy?" Kimberly asked, her face hidden in his  
shoulder. Tommy was still taller; if she ignored the softness she was leaning  
against, she could pretend there was almost no difference to this embrace  
and previous ones. Almost.

"You know you can tell me anything," she prompted softly  
when he wouldn't speak. To her surprise, he blushed slightly. Then, the  
velvety brown eyes met hers.

"It's just, I always thought my first time would be with  
you," Tommy admitted at last. "I _wanted_ it to be with you. If Jase  
is right, and I'll have to ... to be with one of the guys, that's not gonna  
happen."

Kimberly was surprised by the rush of disappointment flooding  
her as the truth of Tommy's statement sank in. Determinedly, she fought  
it down, especially since she could hear the echo of her own feelings in  
Tommy's apologetic voice.

"That's okay, Tommy," she whispered at last, touching  
his cheek  _*it's so soft now!* _\-- reassuringly. "If ... if you  
want, you can still have your first time as a guy with me afterwards,"  
she offered shyly.

"I'd like that," the White Ranger murmured back, touched  
and secretly elated. He hadn't expected this after Kim's reluctance recently.  
"If you're sure."

"As sure as I can be. I love you, Tommy."

"I love you, too, Beautiful," he whispered. "But, only  
if and when you're ready. I promise."

"Thank you."

The two kissed then, after all, but it didn't last long;  
they knew they weren't alone, even though their friends gave them what  
privacy they could, and there _was_ a slight element of strangeness  
both were very much aware of. But their eyes shone as they separated, and  
their hands were firmly intertwined as they rejoined the rest of the team.  
They were oblivious to the indulgent smiles the others didn't bother to  
hide.

Billy was still conferring with Zordon and Alpha, but  
it was obvious that the three of them had come to a conclusion when the  
team genius rolled up his printouts and turned back to meet his friends'  
expectant faces.

"Jase, you've found the solution," Billy declared without  
preamble. He had to smile as he could almost _see_ the stones dropping  
from the team's shoulders, and the relieved sighs nearly caused a miniature  
tornado among his papers. However, the Blue Ranger's mien got serious almost  
right away again.

"We shouldn't wait too long to implement it, though,"  
he cautioned. "Tommy's been under the influence of the drug and Zedd's  
energy blast for over twelve hours by now, and there is a definite chance  
that it will become irreversible regardless, if countermeasures aren't  
started within 24 hours after the effect was set in motion. From yesterday's  
battle records, that sets the time at 5.15 pm today. You _may_ have  
an hour or two of leeway, Tommy, but .... "

"Better safe than sorry. I understand," Tommy gulped.  
While he'd tried his best to come to terms with Jason's suggestion in the  
short time he'd had, and accepted the necessity _intellectually_,  
he'd hoped to have at least some more time to get really used to the idea  
of having to sleep with one of his friends. Billy's words quite neatly  
removed that option. Which brought him to the next, suddenly very immediate  
problem: who of his friends to choose. He blushed hotly as he snuck a glance  
at the Red, Black and Blue Rangers from under his lashes. It was impossible  
for him to look at Kimberly, or even Trini.

"Tommy, I know this is not going to be easy for you; engaging  
in sexual intercourse for the first time with anyone is a very big step,  
no matter when or how. Under the present circumstances ... " Zordon rumbled  
from his warp tube. He wished it hadn't come to this; a Ranger team with  
romantic involvements was difficult enough to manage and he tried to subtly  
discourage any developments of the sexual sort. It was one of the reasons  
why he'd chosen such young Humans to wield the Power, hoping to stave off  
problems in that area. True, Tommy and Kimberly's relationship seemed to  
be an asset rather than an impediment so far, and once the attachment had  
been formed, the Eltarian wouldn't have dreamed of splitting his Rangers  
up, but the fact remained, it was going to be difficult for all of them  
to set aside personal wants, desires and considerations to do what had  
to be done. The White Powers had been specifically designed to match Tommy's  
physiology, and there was no telling how they would react to his altered  
body chemistry. The team could _not_ afford to wait and find out,  
however.

*_Damn Zedd and his meddling, anyway!*_ the Morphin'  
Master cursed inwardly. _*It's bad enough my Rangers have to have their  
lives interrupted like this and fight against near-overwhelming odds on  
a near-daily basis, but do they have to grow up in this area that fast,  
too?*_

There was nothing else to be done, however. Out loud,  
Zordon just allowed himself a resigned sigh and addressed his recently-appointed  
team leader.

"I do not wish to rush you, Tommy, but time is of the  
essence. You, and whichever partner you choose, will need to be prepared  
for Jason's solution to work at all. Even now, Alpha is readying certain  
chemicals which will ensure the feasibility of this plan. You need to make  
your selection now."

Tommy blanched as Jason, Zack and Billy blushed. With  
an enormous effort of will, he met his friends' eyes. All three boys straightened  
instinctively as they felt their teammate's eyes on themselves. Slowly,  
Tommy made himself walk towards the three.

Trini and Kimberly were clinging to each other's hands,  
trying hard not to hold their breaths as the lithe figure approached the  
male Rangers. Somehow, it was this precise instant where Tommy's altered  
state seemed most pronounced; it was no longer just their friend asking  
his teammates for help, it was a female of the species choosing her mate  
instead.

Zack grinned uncertainly as he was the first to meet Tommy's  
so-serious brown eyes. He usually had to look up slightly and it was disconcerting  
to find them on a level with his own for once. While he was willing to  
do anything to help his friends, nevertheless he had to swallow hard. The  
instinctive reaction did little to calm down the horde of butterflies swirling  
in his stomach. _*I never dreamed it would come to this, though!*_  
he thought wildly. _*What if he picks me and I can't even get it up?*_  
The notion brought another flood of color to his cheeks, and he was _very  
_thankful  
his dark skin hid most of it.

Tommy looked closely at the Black Ranger, his thoughts  
suddenly taking quite unaccustomed turns. _*I like Zack ... he's been  
a great bud when I was trying to ask Kim out ... he's got a great sense  
of humor, too ...*_ He thought fleetingly about the rubber spider he'd  
placed on Zack's shoulder once, and his panicked antics until he realized  
it was just a curio. He'd laughed, and while Tommy had come in for some  
good-natured mauling during their next sparring session, Zack had taken  
the harmless prank the way it was meant ... and retaliated with sewing  
his gi pants legs together at the next opportunity. The girls had laughed  
themselves silly when Tommy had been forced to hastily pick at the neat  
stitches right before a match, heartlessly letting him do all the work  
himself.

_*I guess he's also not bad-looking,*_ Tommy ruminated  
further, letting his eyes sweep surreptitiously over Zack's well-built  
physique. But he felt a curious reluctance as he tried to imagine touching  
his teammate in anything but a friendly, casual fashion, sparring or helping  
each other out. _*I'd trust him with my life, have done so often, even  
shared the Dragon Shield with him once, but ...*_ The White Ranger inwardly  
shook his head. _*Our relationship isn't like that. We're friends, yes,  
but ... It's gonna be strange enough getting together with one of the guys  
anyway, but with Zack ... no. It's not him, it's just ... no.*_

The Black Ranger heaved a silent sigh of relief as Tommy  
turned away from him with a shaky grin and looked at Billy instead. He  
knew that this didn't mean he was off the hook yet, just that Tommy hadn't  
rejected him outright, but he couldn't help himself. Out of the corner  
of his eye, Zack watched the silent exchange between a clearly flustered,  
but steadfast Billy and the tall boy-turned-girl. He didn't really believe  
Tommy would choose the _Blue_ Ranger, but one never knew ...

Tommy smiled slightly as he read the panic barely hidden  
in Billy's eyes. He knew his teammate would oblige him without hesitation  
should he choose him, but even though they had found their own way to connect  
to each other over time, there were just too many differences between them  
to make Tommy comfortable about the thought of physical intimacy with Billy.  
Even more so than with Zack ... and it was clearly a sentiment the blond  
shared, but wouldn't admit to.

"Don't worry, Bill," he murmured, trying not to laugh  
hysterically as he noticed the almost imperceptible sagging of shoulders  
and lessening of tension at his words. "No offense to you, but ..."

"I understand, Tommy," Billy answered just as softly,  
trying not to let his relief be too obvious. "Our friendship just isn't  
like that."

"No, it isn't, is it?"

"No. If there was nobody else ..." The implications were  
clear to both teens. They'd do what they had to, but since there _was  
_an  
alternative ... both smiled, and Tommy gave the Blue Ranger's shoulder  
a quick squeeze. Then, drawing a deep breath, he took another step or two  
sideways and found himself face-to-face with Jason.

The dark eyes met his own unflinchingly, open and offering  
unstinting support, no matter what his decision would be. Equally obvious  
were the affection and trust Tommy had always found in his best friend's  
look, and without thinking, he made the choice he suddenly knew was the  
only one he _could _make.

"Jase?" It was a million questions packed into just one  
word.

"Yes, Bro," came the quiet reply. Tommy _knew_, without  
knowing how, that Jason understood and accepted every single one of his  
questions, and had answered them in the only way possible between them.  
There was a certain feeling of inevitability in the air that was nearly  
palpable to all. Both young men continued to gaze at each other for long  
moments, then Tommy made himself turn away again. Fighting a sudden queasiness  
in his stomach, and doing his best to ignore the frisson of excitement  
skittering along his nerves despite everything, he directed his next remark  
at Zordon.

"I choose Jason."

 

 

 

 

** _Five_ **

Noon found the two teens locking Tommy's car at the Forest  
Ranger Station's parking lot and shouldering their backpacks as they made  
their way deeper into the forest, to the campsite Jason had in mind. They  
had hardly spoken a word with each other on the two-hour trip, each lost  
in his thoughts as they tried valiantly not to dwell too much on what was  
going to happen between them once they'd set up camp.

Absently, Tommy rubbed his left buttock as he fumbled  
to stow his car keys; it still smarted from the injections Billy had given  
him before they'd left. He heard a sound that seemed suspiciously like  
a barely-suppressed snicker. Looking up, he met Jason's amused eyes and  
snatched his hand away from his stinging anatomy as he felt the blood rise  
to his cheeks. Jason grinned at him.

"You too, huh?"

"Wh-what?" Tommy stammered, suddenly ridiculously aware  
that he was wearing jean shorts borrowed from Kimberly's mother. They molded  
tightly to his backside and were _much _shorter than anything he'd  
ever worn outside a pool or gym, but the weather was just too hot to be  
wearing sweats while hiking. He hadn't wanted to waste time to shop for  
pants, being understandably reluctant to be seen in public, so the girls  
had raided five mothers' closets to cobble together a suitable wardrobe  
for him to wear on the hiking trip. Tommy groaned as he thought of the  
lacy panties he was wearing, but none of his jockeys fit anymore, and his  
boxers were longer than the shorts' inseam, so ... he just hoped Mrs. Scott  
or Mrs. Taylor would never know where their lingerie had been. Tommy shuddered  
as he remembered going through his own Mom's underwear drawer. Margaret  
Oliver was pretty cool as mothers went, but ... _black satin?!? _His  
thoughts were wrenched back to the present when Jason spoke again.

"The injections. I dunno what Alpha put in there, but  
I've never been so glad to get off my ass as I was when we reached that  
parking lot," the Red Ranger admitted with his own rueful grimace as he,  
too, rubbed a sore backside. The familiar, bantering tone lifted Tommy's  
spirits immeasurably; it was _exactly_ what Jason would've said to  
him had his condition been ... normal.

"Yeah," Tommy chuckled, relieved that despite the awkwardness  
of the situation they could still talk like they'd always done. "I just  
wish Alpha had used a smaller needle. Man, that thing was _huge_!"

"Tell me about it, Bro," Jason agreed. "What was in yours,  
anyway?" he then asked curiously. "Mine contained stuff to increase sperm  
production and viability ..."

Jason did his best to ignore Tommy's renewed blush.

"Something to help with the 'osmotic properties of the  
membranes and tissues forming my reproductive organs'," was the reply.  
It was obvious whom Tommy was quoting, and both teens grinned. "I think  
I even know what that means, for once," Tommy boasted.

"Uh-huh. Right. If you say so," Jason smirked, winking  
at his best friend who blew a raspberry at him in reply. The Red Ranger  
just laughed.

He adjusted his backpack and looked for the correct markings  
for the trail they needed to take. If he stood here jabbering with Tommy  
much longer, he wasn't sure he wouldn't embarrass himself. Tommy's legs  
surely hadn't been _this _long and shapely before? Or his rear so  
nicely-rounded? Jason swallowed hard, gazing quickly aside. Billy had warned  
him while administering the mixture of drugs that would speed up the production  
of spermata in his body that an increase in hormonal reactions was likely,  
but Jason honestly hadn't expeced to be affected by his best friend's looks  
so much.

Finding the markings he'd been looking for, Jason directed  
Tommy to the right path, and the two set off in companionable silence.  
As they walked deeper into the forest, Jason pondered his reactions as  
he surreptitiously watched the White Ranger trek ahead of him.

_*I guess it's a good thing I'm beginning to be attracted  
to Tommy, the way he looks now,*_ he mused. _*The worst thing would  
be to have built up his hopes like that and if I couldn't perform. But,  
I don't think I'll have to worry about that!*_ Jason suppressed a moan  
and the all-too-interested twinge in his own anatomy as Tommy paused and  
stretched, the full breasts  still unbound  pressing against the fabric  
of his shirt as he pulled the tails out of the waistband of his shorts  
and knotted them as high up as he could, baring a smooth tanned midriff.  
It was nothing Kimberly or Trini hadn't done countless times on other hikes  
with the boys, but suddenly, everything was different. Very much so.

Fighting down his blush, Jason tried to act nonchalantly  
as he unscrewed his canteen and drank deeply of the getting-tepid water,  
suddenly wishing for a cold shower. Or some privacy, to take matters into  
his own hand  literally. He put the stopper back and cleared his throat.

"Let's go on; the place I have in mind is much cooler  
than out here." They were still a few hundred yards short of the treeline.

"Sure," Tommy agreed readily, and the two Rangers hiked  
on, soon disappearing in the cool shade of the State Forest.

***

Lord Zedd grunted as he shut off his eyebeam. There was  
too much interference in the mountains for him to watch the two Rangers;  
he could still see them, but the visual he got was too hazy and indistinct  
to be worth the effort involved. Instead, he determined to check in on  
the two boys  no, the boy and the _girl_, he reminded himself gleefully,  
grinning evilly behind his visor  periodically.

Meanwhile, it would be quite interesting to watch the  
rest of the team, to see how they were dealing with his fiendish plot.  
Dismissing Zack almost instantly  the Black Ranger was sitting quietly  
in the back of the family car, driving away from Angel Grove and trying  
to be as cheerful as his cousin Curtis  and Billy because he was out of  
his reach at the Command Center anyway, he concentrated instead on the  
two girls, who were going through the motions of browsing at the Mall.  
Kimberly's expression was heartbroken, and Zedd settled in to spy on their  
conversation.

***

Kim hung the pink-flowered summer dress back onto the  
rack with a disconsolate sigh. Usually, going shopping could distract her  
from virtually anything, but for once the Mall failed to work its magic  
on her troubled mind. She just couldn't forget Tommy's soulful eyes, the  
pain in them, quickly masked, when she hadn't been able to bring herself  
to touch him at first and the hope as he looked at her when he kissed her  
at last. She sighed again. That kiss had been so strange ... it had been  
just the same as the good-night kiss she'd received last night, and yet  
it had been totally different. Kimberly struggled to identify the discrepancies,  
but could only come up with very superficial things ... there had been  
a slight change in height, the arms holding her hadn't been as muscular,  
Tommy's lips had been softer than she'd been used to, the taste had been  
subtly altered ... she shied from the memory of feeling soft breasts pressing  
against her own where there used to be hard, sculpted muscles.

Trini observed her best friend's hangdog expression for  
a while, the listless browsing where she was used to boundless enthusiasm,  
and came to a decision. She took the t-shirt Kim was fingering out of her  
hand, tossed it back onto the table and grabbing the Pink Ranger by her  
arm, drew her startled friend towards a small café a few doorways  
down.

"Sit!" she ordered Kimberly, who was just stunned enough  
to obey. Trini quickly ordered two milkshakes, and brought the pastel-colored  
beverages to the wrought-iron table where she'd plonked her friend. Sinking  
into a chair opposite her, she then put a reassuring hand on Kim's forearm.

"Kim, it'll be alright. You'll see," the lithe Asian said  
comfortingly.

"You don't know that, Trini," Kim gulped, tears beginning  
to gather in her eyes. "What if Jason can't help him, after all? What if  
it doesn't work? Wh-what if Tommy has t-to stay that w-way?"

"Billy and Zordon seemed pretty confident that it would,  
though. And you _know_ Zordon wouldn't raise our hopes like that if  
the chances weren't high enough."

"I ... I guess," Kim sighed, wiping at her brimming eyes  
and sniffling slightly. "It's just ... what if it _doesn't_? What  
if Zedd does something else to him while he's all alone with Jason up in  
the mountains?"

***

Up on the moon, the Overlord of Evil quickly searched  
for an idea to do just that. The idea hadn't occurred to him before, and  
Zedd was more than a little chagrined that it had to be _Kimberly _to  
remind him. Finding none  or at least none that was feasible and didn't  
require an extraordinary amount of energy  he cursed fluently in four  
different languages, using epithets that made Squatt and Baboo shake in  
fear at their spy-hole to the throne room, and resumed his 'girl-watching'.

***

"Tommy may be a girl now, but he's still a Black Belt.  
And Jason would never let Zedd get his clutches on Tommy," the Yellow Ranger  
reassured her friend. "You know those two can take care of themselves   
and each other."

"Yes, but what if ..."

_"KIM!"_ Trini's exasperated exclamation made Kimberly  
blush. She hung her head in embarrassment.

"S-sorry," she whispered, looking down on her tightly-clasped  
hands. After a couple of minutes, the petite girl gave a shaky smile as  
she hesitantly met Trini's eyes. "I'll try not to think about it anymore,"  
she promised half-heartedly.

"Good. Now blow you nose, drink your shake and we can  
go on," Trini grinned, purposely adopting her aunt's tone of voice when  
she was dealing with her cousin Sylvia. Kim had to giggle at that, and  
obediently sipped her drink, taking the time to compose herself. When both  
had finished, they got up, and Kimberly slipped Trini a quick, grateful  
hug.

"Thanks, Trini. For being there, and everything."

"You're very welcome," Trini smiled, returning the embrace.  
"Now, shall we go shopping?"

"Let's," Kim agreed, dredging up at least _some_  
of her usual enthusiasm. However, at the back of her mind something still  
lingered, something she couldn't bring herself to share even with her best  
friend.

The thought that Tommy would do things with Jason that  
she hardly had dared fantasize about, that she had wanted to share with  
Tommy one day.

The fact that she found this thought more than slightly  
stimulating.

And the fear that after being with Jason, Tommy wouldn't  
want to come back to her.

 

 

 

 

** _Six_ **

It was nearing three o'clock when the Red and White Rangers  
reached their campsite, a small clearing at the top of a medium-sized rise.  
Tommy let his backpack slip from his shoulders with a grateful sigh, deposited  
it right next to the coolers and tent, and while he worked the kinks out  
of his back muscles, he looked around appreciatively. One edge of the clearing  
looked out over the area they'd just climbed, giving them a fantastic panorama  
over the foothills through to the sparkling blue band of the ocean on the  
horizon, where it blended nearly seamlessly into the sky. The path they'd  
used disappeared in the grassy carpet covering the whole clearing, right  
up to the bank of a small, trickling brook that widened into a small pool  
right before the treeline on the other side. It wasn't really big enough  
for swimming, but would do for a quick dip to refresh themselves. There  
were bright, sunlit patches for warming up after being in the mountain-cool  
water, shady areas to rest in when the warmth of the day got to be too  
much, smooth rocks at the pond's edge to sit and fish, or simply watch  
the quick silver torpedoes dart around ... all in all, it was as close  
to perfect as either teen could have wished for.

Still slightly winded from their hike, Jason and Tommy  
didn't lose too many words as they chose a likely spot to put up their  
tent, a red-and-dark-green dome that blended in surprisingly well against  
the background of mottled-green foliage. Tommy hadn't seen Jason's tent  
before, and the colors earned Jason a small grin and a raised eyebrow,  
but the dark-haired young man just shrugged. They worked in companionable  
silence for a while, hoisting their supplies up into a tree to keep them  
safe from wandering wildlife, pumping up a kingsize air mattress that barely  
fit the bottom of the tent and generally making themselves at home.

When they were done, they washed up in the brook, and  
broke out some food; they'd only munched on fruit and sandwiches on the  
way, but while Jason gnawed hungrily on a chicken leg, Tommy only bit half-heartedly  
into his. Finally, he wrapped up the remains of his meal, packed it, took  
a can of soda and wandered over to the edge, leaning against a tree and  
staring out across the valley. Jason watched his best friend concernedly,  
but gave him his space; he quietly finished his own food, cleaned up for  
them both, and drank his fill from the clear pond. At last, he thought  
it was time to break the silence. True, they had planned this trip for  
some time anyway, but due to Zedd's interference, they had acquired another  
agenda ... and time was running out on them.

Butterflies dive-bombing in his stomach, Jason walked  
quietly up to the lonely figure silhouetted against the sky. He _tried_  
not to notice the still-bared smooth belly, the long legs, gently-rounded  
butt or the softened profile, but couldn't help himself; it had been at  
the back of his mind ever since they'd started their trek.

"Tommy?" he called softly, not wanting to startle his  
friend. He didn't get an answer, but a slight inclination of his head showed  
Jason that Tommy had heard him.

"Tommy, I ..." Jason had to clear his suddenly-constricted  
throat. "Bro, I don't want to rush you or anything, but it's a quarter  
to five ... you know what Billy said ..."

The Blue Ranger had given them a deadline that would be  
reached in about thirty minutes.

"Yeah."

Jason sighed. He knew, or thought he did, that the situation  
was very hard on his friend, but it wasn't exactly a picnic for him, either.  
While he'd dreamed of having sex for the first time like any other normal  
teenaged boy, he'd always thought it'd be with a girl he'd fallen in love  
with. If anything, he'd pictured it'd be slow, gentle, a bit more romantic,  
a natural progression of growing intimacy with someone, not like this   
being out here in the forest, in the middle of nowhere and doing it as  
a calculated move to reverse a fiendish spell. It would be having sex instead  
of making love, and that seemed ... wrong, somehow. And although Jason  
certainly felt deep affection for Tommy, his best friend who was now a  
girl  a startlingly attractive girl  he couldn't help but be nervous.  
Which was only normal, he supposed, but still ...

"We have to start sometime," Jason said quietly, trying  
not to sound pushy.

"I know," Tommy admitted. He didn't turn around, though.  
"I just wish I knew where ... or how."

For an instant, Jason was at a complete loss. On the drive  
up to the mountains and during their hike, he'd sort of obsessed about  
the actual act of having sex for the first time with _anyone_  the  
images in his brain had involved two naked bodies writhing together in  
their tent, humping and moaning like he'd seen it at the movies, but he'd  
never given a moment's thought about how they'd actually _get_ into  
that state.

"Well, uh ... " the Red Ranger frantically cast about  
for a solution to this conundrum. Finally, something presented itself.

"Why don't we start the usual way?"

"What's _usual_ about this?" Tommy asked, gesturing  
at himself. "And what _is_ the 'usual way', anyway?"

Jason grinned fleetingly, acknowledging the slight barb,  
but feeling slightly more secure the longer he thought about it.

"I mean, maybe I ... we just ought to kiss first. That  
_is_  
how most people start, isn't it?"

"How would I know? I've never done this before!"

"Neither have I, actually."

"Oh." Jason's calm admission took the wind out of Tommy's  
sails quite neatly. Instead, his anxiety increased. What if _he_ couldn't  
go through with this? So far, he'd only thought to find a friend willing  
to help him, and he was truly grateful that his Bro had agreed to be there  
for him. But now that the situation was on hand, it was about the hardest  
thing he'd ever done to meet Jason's dark, compassionate eyes and take  
the next step  something he _had_ to do if he ever wanted to get  
his own body back. Swallowing hard, hoping his best friend couldn't see  
how plain _scared_ he suddenly was, he nodded.

"Okay."

Jason tried to smile reassuringly, but a strange mixture  
of bashfulness and excitement robbed him of speech. Instead, he crossed  
the last couple of feet separating him from Tommy and lifted a tentative  
hand to a cheek gone pale under its tan, trailing his fingertips down the  
soft skin. Absently, he noted that his hand was shaking slightly. When  
Tommy didn't draw back, just looked at him wide-eyed and just a little  
warily, Jason grew bolder. He touched the dark hair and on an impulse,  
removed the rubber band confining the shoulder-length strands in Tommy's  
trademark ponytail, loosening them until they gently framed the anxious  
face. They felt oh-so-smooth and silky, and that made it very easy for  
Jason to cup Tommy's face between both palms and lower his lips to the  
closed mouth. Their eyes held each other steadily. Just as the first whisper-gentle  
contact occurred, though, Tommy finally couldn't hold back anymore. All  
the shock and strain he'd been under since he'd discovered what Zedd had  
done to him at last reached the saturation point and boiled over. Before  
Tommy could stop himself, he burst into laughter that was more than slightly  
hysterical.

Startled, Jason jumped back.

"I ... I'm sorry, Bro," Tommy wheezed between gasps of  
laughter. He was nearly doubled over with unreasonable mirth. "This ...  
this is ... heehee ... just too ... f-funny ... hee ...."

"At least one of us thinks so, then," Jason replied, turning  
away so that Tommy wouldn't see just how much his outburst stung.

"Oh man, you should've seen your face ...!" The White  
Ranger was still snickering, and Jason stiffened. He had no doubt he'd  
looked about as ridiculous as he felt right now, but did Tommy _have_  
to rub it in? The heat burning in his cheeks didn't help matters, either.

"I thought you wanted to get your own body back," he said  
as calmly as he was able, but try as he might, he couldn't keep the hurt  
out of his deep voice. "If all you can do is laugh, this won't work."

Tommy tried to stifle his giggles, but it took him a while.  
Still panting slightly, he slowly straightened, holding his aching stomach  
muscles with one arm pressed across his middle. Once he felt he could speak  
again without breaking into a new fit of laughter, he tried for a casual  
tone. It wouldn't come.

"I'm okay now," he ventured. Jason wouldn't look at him.  
Sighing, and by now beginning to regret his attack of the sillies, Tommy  
reached out and touched his best friend's shoulder in a gesture that had  
become natural for the two of them almost from the start. To his surprise,  
he felt tension in the broad back, and started to realize that this wasn't  
as easy for Jason as he'd made it look by his ready acceptance when he'd  
asked for his help.

"Jase, I'm sorry," Tommy apologized softly. "I wasn't  
laughing at you, really I wasn't."

That brought the Red Ranger around again, and Tommy was  
slightly shocked to see how hurt the midnight-dark eyes looked. There was  
a wariness in them that he'd never noticed before, and it made him feel  
quite ashamed. He blushed.

"I'm sorry," he said again, wishing he knew of another  
way to express his genuine regret. "It's just ... the whole thing just  
crashed in on me, I guess. I _really_ like you, you know that, you're  
the absolute best, but I never thought ..." Tommy was groping for words  
and couldn't find any, but as always, his friend seemed to understand   
even without hearing it expressed verbally. Jason gradually relaxed again  
and summoned a small smile.

"I know. It's like that for me, too. But, we don't have  
another choice. _You _don't."

"Right," Tommy sighed, feeling better now that the tension  
between them had eased again. "You ... you think we could maybe try again?"  
Before Jason could answer, he added with a tiny grin, "I promise not to  
laugh again."

Jason opened his mouth for an indignant reply, thought  
better of it and released his pent-up breath in a slow hiss. "You'd better  
not," he growled half-seriously, and without thinking threaded his arms  
around Tommy's waist and pulled him close. Surprised, Tommy rested his  
hands on the broad shoulders and looked up into the suddenly-glittering  
eyes.

Both teens realized in the same instant that they were  
actually embracing each other and froze. The moment spun out for a seeming  
eternity, then it was Jason who broke the impasse with a small joke.

"Once more, with feeling," he murmured, startling a grin  
out of Tommy, and before either could have second thoughts, laid his lips  
with gentle pressure against Tommy's.

The bespelled young man stood stock-still as he felt Jason's  
mouth cover his own, but when nothing more happened, he slowly relaxed.  
After several seconds, Jason drew back slightly, searching the brown eyes,  
and when he found only surprise, gradual acceptance and slight curiosity  
in the chocolate depths, lowered his head once more. This time, he began  
to nibble at the soft lips, teasing them open with ghost-like little licks  
and stabs of his tongue. Jason watched Tommy's eyelids flutter closed and  
followed suit, concentrating instead on the taste and feel of the person  
he held in his arms. Soon, everything else became irrelevant but to explore  
the smooth contours, wanting to delve deep into the warm moisture he knew  
lay hidden behind the velvety entrance. When Tommy finally relented and  
opened to his gentle demand, Jason moaned softly in his chest as he started  
to lose himself in pure sensation.

Tommy felt more than heard Jason's moan, and it reverberated  
through his mouth, sending slight electrical chills deep into his own body.  
For a while, all he could do was accept the gentle claiming, feeling Jason's  
tongue swirl leisurely inside his mouth. Tentatively, he reached out with  
his own oral organ, and as soon as he twined himself around Jason, all  
else fled. There was nothing else as the two drank of each other, tasting,  
seeking, learning what made the other sigh and shiver. Without noticing  
it, they moved closer, until their bodies were pressed tightly against  
each other and their blood began to heat up, stirred by the dance of their  
tongues.

When finally Jason withdrew from the delights Tommy's  
mouth offered him  only because his lungs were screaming for oxygen, not  
because he _wanted_ to  he opened his eyes again and smiled lazily  
when he saw the flush staining the smooth cheeks. Tommy fluttered his own  
lashes open and caught that smile; inexplicably, it made his breath hitch  
in his throat. A soft moan escaped him as Jason kissed him again, briefly  
but thoroughly, and the pleased chuckle _that_ generated made his  
insides coil with excitement. Breathless, he hid his face in the crook  
of Jason's neck, hiding his flustered expression. The two Rangers stood  
like that for a long while, just holding each other in a tight but undemanding  
embrace.

Gradually, Tommy became aware of his surroundings again;  
somehow, during their kiss, Jason had managed to bring him up against the  
tree behind him, and the rough bark at his back was a welcome contrast  
to the smoothness of Jason's chest he could feel through the thin t-shirt.  
It felt incredible to nestle against the hard, sculpted plane, and Tommy  
experienced a sudden desire to remove the twin barriers of cloth separating  
his flesh from the warm skin of his soon-to-be lover. Briefly, he wondered  
if it felt like this for Kimberly when he hugged her, and shivered at the  
thought. Jason's strong arms tightened instinctively around him, and Tommy  
shifted his position minutely. The slight movement brought his lower body  
into contact with Jason's jeans-clad hips, and Tommy's head snapped up,  
startled, when he could feel the hard ridge behind the stone-washed denim.

"I think we won't have to worry anymore whether we can  
do this, do we?" Jason asked huskily, thrusting his pelvis suggestively  
against Tommy's softness. The low, sensual tone, accompanied by another  
slow, deep kiss made Tommy moan again, and he didn't protest as one large  
hand crept up from his bared waist to stroke very gently around the outside  
of his breast. He felt a pleasant ache as his nipple contracted almost  
immediately into a hard knot of desire.

"I ... I think I need to lie down," Tommy sighed when  
Jason placed his palm over one heaving mound, simultaneously moving his  
mouth down his neck. The teasing nip at his earlobe made him giggle again,  
but this time it was because of mounting excitement, not hysteria. His  
knees _did _feel decidely wobbly when Jason released him at last.  
Thankfully, his hand steadied him as the dark eyes sparkled into his own.

"No problem, Bro," Jason rumbled, his own breath not quite  
steady. "Do we stay here, or do we get into the tent?"

"Um ... inside, I think." Tommy blushed. For some reason,  
he wanted  _needed _ the privacy their small dome offered. "I know  
it doesn't really matter, but ..."

"It's okay, Tommy," Jason soothed, drawing the other close  
once more. "We'll be more comfortable there than on the ground, anyway."  
It wasn't the only reason, but it sufficed, and Tommy was grateful for  
his best friend's understanding. Together, the two Rangers crossed the  
clearing and, after taking off their hiking boots and socks, crawled into  
the waterproof structure.

***

Once inside, Jason and Tommy stretched out on their sleeping  
bags, protected from the hard ground by the large air mattress covering  
most of the floor. Suddenly shy, they were facing each other without touching,  
but Tommy snuck a glance at Jason's lap and noticed with a small thrill  
that the erection he'd felt minutes ago was apparently undiminished. He  
knew his own nipples were as hard as Kimberly's had ever been when they'd  
been necking, and the thought of his petite girlfriend brought a dejected  
sigh to his lips.

"What?" As always, Jason was picking up on his mood.

"Nothing," Tommy tried to dismiss his friend's concern,  
but a look into the dark eyes told him he wouldn't get away with it.

"It ... it's Kim," he finally admitted. "I can't help  
wondering how she's taking this. I mean, it's weird and ..."

"Don't, Tommy," Jason interrupted him. At his questioning  
glance, the Red Ranger continued. "Don't think of her now. I know how much  
she means to you, but we'll never pull this off if you let yourself be  
distracted by Kim."

Jason was right, Tommy knew. Reluctantly, he nodded and  
averted his eyes, trying to compose himself. To his surprise, Jason rolled  
over and pulled him against his chest. Wrapping his arms around the slender  
but still-strong back, he started to stroke and pet the tensed muscles.

"It's okay, Bro. _We'll_ be okay. We have to. I'm  
not letting Zedd win, and I'm willing to do everything I can to help you  
through this." He lifted the head with its long brown locks up and gazed  
earnestly into the chocolate eyes. "I'm with you all the way, Tommy. Always.  
Whatever it takes."

"I know. Thanks, Bro," Tommy murmured, deeply touched.  
Without thinking, he reached up around the strong neck and drew Jason into  
a grateful kiss. For some reason, the action, so inconceivable only this  
morning, didn't seem unnatural at all.

It was the right thing to do. As Jason instinctively took  
control, Tommy gradually yielded, and soon both teens relaxed into each  
other's arms, letting increasingly pleasurable sensations sweep them away  
into desire.

Within minutes, they'd reached the state of excitement  
they'd been in when they'd decided to relocate into their tent. With their  
bodies pressed full-length against each other, there was no way they could  
miss the signs of arousal both displayed, and when they parted for air,  
both were breathing hard.

"Shall we continue where we left off, then?" Jason asked  
his friend as he freed a hand from the slender waist and trailed a fingertip  
over a soft, flushed cheek, circling the moist lips and wandering further  
down the smooth column of Tommy's throat to the buttons holding his off-white  
shirt closed. He started to toy with the top one, not yet slipping it through  
the buttonhole while his look held Tommy's, asking silently for permission  
to proceed. He received it through a tiny nod, and sensed that Tommy was  
holding his breath expectantly as he slowly opened first one, then another  
and yet another button, until he reached the knot Tommy had tied in his  
shirttails earlier. The edges of the shirt gaped slightly but didn't reveal  
more than a gentle slope of roundness; nevertheless Jason felt his heartbeat  
soar as he picked the knot open somewhat clumsily.

At last, it was done. Raising his eyes once more towards  
Tommy's, Jason saw his friend was biting his lower lip almost hard enough  
to draw blood. He leaned over and teased the white teeth back with a very  
gentle, undemanding kiss. Soothing the bruised mouth with his own, he gave  
what reassurance he could.

"Relax; I'm not going to hurt you."

The husky whisper sent tingles all through Tommy.

"I know; I'm just a little nervous, is all."

"Me too," Jason admitted with a slight smile. "I told  
you, I've never done this before either. But, we'll take this as slow as  
you want."

"What if I want it fast?" Tommy couldn't stop saying.  
He regretted the facetiousness as soon as he'd said it, but a quick glance  
showed that Jason didn't take offense.

"If that's what you want, it's fine by me as well."

"Nnnooo ... slow is okay," Tommy decided after a moment's  
deliberation. While a part of him was jabbering _'get it over with, get  
your body back, get out of here'_, another part savored the languorous  
pace Jason had set, and that part won. Applying his martial arts training  
and relaxing his tense muscles, Tommy smiled at Jason, unconsciously seductive.  
"I think I like slow."

"Then slow it is," Jason acquiesced readily and bent once  
more to kiss the invitingly parted lips. As his tongue enticed Tommy's  
into a sensuous duel, he slipped his hand underneath the shirt's fabric.  
He encountered an incredible softness that was everything he'd ever dreamed  
of, and he let his fingers wander, learning by touch alone the shape of  
the rounded swell that fit his hand so perfectly. At long last, Jason released  
Tommy's mouth, smiling reassuringly, and let his eyes stray towards the  
treasure he'd uncovered.

"Oh, wow," he breathed.

It was the first time he'd ever looked at a naked female  
breast, outside of the occasional glimpse of a girlie magazine or a movie,  
and the sight took his breath away. Almost reverently, Jason hefted the  
smooth globe, marvelling at the experience which sent a fresh surge of  
blood into his already-hard cock. He squirmed slightly, trying to release  
the pressure against his strained zipper, and gingerly touched the small  
brown peak at the tip of that heaving mound. Distantly, he heard Tommy  
suck in a surprised breath, but he was too mesmerized by the tightening  
of sensitive tissue under his questing fingers as that little kernel of  
flesh visibly hardened and rose, tempting him beyond his ability to control.  
Following ancient instinct, he lowered his head toward the enticing point.  
Pressing his lips carefully against the satiny skin, he started to nibble,  
dimly aware that Tommy had started to tremble, then drew the throbbing  
tip into his mouth.

The White Ranger closed his eyes and moaned blissfully  
as the wonderful moist heat surrounded him. When Jason started to lick,  
then suckle at his nipple, he arched up as if to offer himself, aware of  
nothing but that exciting tugging that spread from his breast down into  
his belly, causing an insistent ache between his legs. Tommy's head began  
to swim as Jason moved to his other side, and he felt himself grow wet  
as his desire rose.

For a minute or two, Tommy tried to analyse the differences  
he was experiencing; he was used to feel his own arousal as an insistent  
pressure in his groin that thrust outward, wanting to be stroked and called  
forth. Now, possessing a girl's body, he felt himself opening inwardly,  
an empty chasm forming between his legs that itched-yet-didn't and wanted  
 no, _needed_  to be filled. Fortunately, he knew exactly what,  
and who, could fill that aching yearning. Burying both hands in Jason's  
short, spiky hair, he lifted his friend's head from its hungry feasting.  
The dark eyes glittered with desire in the dim light inside the tent, and  
Tommy heard the short, gasping breaths with delight. Smiling sensually,  
he arched upwards again, rubbing his exposed breasts against Jason's shirt.

"Take my clothes off," he panted.

"Are you sure?" Jason asked, but at the same time was  
already pushing the white shirt down the slim shoulders.

"Yes. I need to feel you against me," Tommy confessed,  
impatiently tugging the red tee out of Jason's jeans. Within seconds, the  
two teens had stripped each other. Clothes were flung haphazardly into  
corners, and only when there was not a stitch left between them did they  
pause to really _look_ at each other.

Jason saw a tall, slender girl lying before him, gorgeous  
breasts that were neither too big nor too small heaving even as the hard  
tips made his mouth water to taste them again. With an effort, he moved  
his eyes further south, sweeping over the dip of a slender waist towards  
the slight flare of hips, and from there towards that mysterious triangular  
patch of brown curls that already glistened with moisture. Irresistibly  
drawn to it, the muscular teen reached out with a not-quite-steady hand  
and cupped the mound with his whole hand. His cock twitched as the heat  
rising from the hidden folds seared his palm.

Tommy, for his part, drank in the sight of his best friend  
kneeling next to his prone body. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Jason  
naked, by no means; they'd showered together often enough, after all, and  
had undressed in each other's presence on sleepovers, but this was the  
first time he noticed his incredible physique with anything but near-clinical  
detachment. Tommy had known right from the start of their acquaintance  
that Jason was _built_, and he'd heard girls at school moon over his  
best friend's sculpted body often enough, but he'd never contemplated him  
like now, when his coiled muscles were covered with a light sheen of sweat  
that was _not _from working out together, and his tanned skin looked  
so very smooth and inviting to touch. Before he did so, Tommy let his eyes  
roam downwards to the narrow hips. There, resting on the powerful thighs  
as he'd known it would be, was Jason's cock  a long, thick, smooth rod  
of flesh, hard and full and reddened with desire, the tiny slit at the  
very tip oozing a drop of clear liquid. He swallowed hard.

The thought of letting that fleshy sword pierce his body  
suddenly terrified him, but at the same time he wanted nothing more, the  
emptiness deep within him expanding, calling out for something  _anything  
_  
to fill it.

Drawing a shuddering breath, Tommy broke through his momentary  
paralysis and reached out, to lay a trembling hand on that smooth, hairless  
chest. The tiny brown disk of a nipple hardened against the center of his  
palm, and he saw the straining prick lift up slightly, as if seeking for  
touch, then settle back onto Jason's thigh once more. Both blushed, but  
somehow, it didn't matter; they were beyond embarrassment now. As he flattened  
his hand against the hard pectoral, Tommy could feel the fast triphammer  
beat of his friend's heart, matching his own, and suddenly everything was  
alright. Moaning Jason's name in entreaty, he twined his arms around the  
broad shoulders and drew him down, to lie next to him on the sleeping bags.

***

The skin-on-skin contact from head to foot was electric,  
and Jason let himself go with the flow. He captured Tommy's lips with his  
own again, and while he plundered the willing mouth more aggressively than  
before, he sought to touch every inch of the silky skin sliding against  
his own. Tommy's hands weren't idle, either, and despite their earlier  
intention to take it slow, soon both Rangers were panting with arousal.  
Maneuvering himself between the willingly-spread legs of his best friend,  
Jason teased the moist folds apart with increasingly sure fingers. Tommy  
sucked in a sharp breath as Jason found his clitoris and flicked repeatedly  
over the hidden pleasure button, causing the flow of Tommy's juices to  
speed up.

"Oh God, Jase ...!" Tommy moaned, nearly delirious with  
desire. "Fill me, please!"

"Yeah," the muscular young man rasped, and adjusted his  
position. Bracing himself on one elbow, he guided the pre-come-leaking  
tip of his penis to the damp curls, moving it up and down to seek for the  
hidden entrance. The sensation nearly drove him wild. Just as he'd found  
it, a last shred of sanity reasserted itself.

"P-protection?" he stammered. "What if ...."

"Taken care of," Tommy panted, spreading his thighs wider  
in invitation. "Alpha's injections ... and besides, you couldn't, remember?"

"Oh yeah," came the groaned reply, and Jason bent forward  
to capture and suck on a straining nipple one last time. Then, he positioned  
himself just right and with an ecstatic moan sank his aching length into  
the incredible heat and tightness that was Tommy's body.

For a second, every instinct demanded that he clamp up  
and eject the invading rod, but Tommy resisted the impulse and was rewarded  
with a tingling sensation that spread outward into his belly and up to  
his breasts ... and inward into his most hidden recesses, demanding more  
... more ... until a sharp pain caused him to gasp in surprise.

Jason thought he'd died and gone to heaven as he inched  
himself ever deeper into the wet opening. He was trembling from head to  
foot with the experience when he suddenly hit an unexpected barrier and  
the oh-so-willing body beneath him tensed.

"T-tommy?" he gasped. "Wh-what ...."

Tommy swallowed.

"Told you I've never done this before," the White Ranger  
grimaced, realizing what the problem was. Now that Jason had stopped his  
progress, the pain lessened, and he was able to relax marginally. "I'm  
a virgin," he muttered, blushing.

It took a moment for Jason to realize what his best buddy  
was getting at. Some of the tension left his body.

"You mean I'm about to pop your cherry?" he sniggered,  
and as he met the scowling, chagrined expression on Tommy's face, he couldn't  
help the laughter bubbling up in his chest. For a second, it looked as  
if Tommy was about to belt him, but suddenly the absurdity of the situation  
overwhelmed both teens, and they broke into helpless laughter. Jason near-collapsed  
on Tommy, and as he playfully kissed the laughing mouth, the shift in angle,  
combined with the relaxation their laughter had caused, made _something  
_give.  
He unexpectedly felt the invisible barrier against his almost-completely-buried  
cockhead burst, and he slid nearly all the way inside.

Tommy hissed, surprised by the sudden tearing sensation,  
but it was over almost as soon as it had begun, and it had hurt far less  
than the pressure he'd experienced before. Instead, he found himself suddenly  
filled with a good sixplus inches of hard, throbbing flesh, and he stilled  
all movement, trying to catalogue every single sensation. It was a futile  
endeavour; there was too much, too soon, and he raised startled eyes to  
Jason's, who was waiting poised above him, powerful biceps straining to  
hold himself up, his look one of desire with just a smidgen of anxiety.

"I'm okay," he reassured his friend breathlessly, cautiously  
adjusting his position. The minute change sent an arrow of arousal into  
every nook of his lower body, and Tommy moaned in surprised delight. Experimenting,  
he lifted his hips slightly, causing Jason to tense and glide another half-inch  
into him. The broad chest heaved, and suddenly all remaining tension left  
Tommy. Lifting his legs high around Jason's torso in an instinctive move,  
he chuckled delightedly and licked his lips.

"Come into me, Jase," he invited. "All the way. I want  
to feel you hit as deep as you can."

"Are you sure?" Jason asked again, already gathering himself  
for that final thrust.

"I'm sure," came the breathy reply, and with a loud groan,  
Jason snapped his hips forward once and sank into the tight folds until  
he was buried inside his best friend to the root of his considerable length.  
Taking a moment to savor the experience, Jason waited until he thought  
he would explode, then slowly and carefully withdrew. The next stroke,  
improbable as it seemed, took him even deeper, and both teens moaned at  
the exquisite feeling. Soon, they established a smooth, slow rhythm that  
had them panting with excitement, their hips moving in unison as Jason  
pumped himself faster and faster into Tommy.

The sound of his flesh surging into the wet heat that  
was Tommy's sex, the sensation of his balls slapping against the upturned  
cheeks of Tommy's firm ass, combined with the constant moans of his name  
as his best friend met him thrust for thrust, threatened to overwhelm Jason,  
and he gasped out his need even as he continued to fuck the tight, clinging  
channel.

"T-tommy, I c-can't ... hold back ... m-much longer,"  
he groaned hoarsely, pistoning ever deeper. He felt as if Tommy's body  
was swallowing him whole, and he didn't mind; this was a rush more intense  
than everything he'd ever experienced, even his first morph, and while  
he realized it couldn't last, had to be over soon, he wanted it to go on  
and on until he was consumed by the fire burning in his loins, threatening  
to rage out of control.

"Come in me then," Tommy answered, his own voice hardly  
recognizable in the throes of their mutual lust. "Give me everything you  
got!" He clamped his legs tighter around Jason's chest, angling his hips  
for deepest penetration and drew the dark head down to his own. Thrusting  
his tongue hungrily into the panting mouth, Tommy matched the fast, furious  
rhythm Jason set, and it was the spark that they needed. Jason tore his  
lips away from Tommy's and gave a primal shout as he stiffened inside his  
best friend, feeling his seed spurt forth in a seemingly endless stream.  
His climax triggered Tommy's, and he nearly screamed as he convulsed around  
the hot shaft exploding deep within, and he writhed in an earth-shattering  
orgasm until both collapsed bonelessly in each other's arms.

***

It took a long time until Jason recovered enough to lift  
his spinning head from Tommy's neck, their sweat-streaked bodies clinging  
to each other as if their very skin was loathe to let go of the other.  
Still breathing hard, he sought out the brown eyes, and slumped with relief  
as they met his anxious look woozily but with a satisfied expression and  
a smile that was almost enough to bring new life to his spent anatomy.

"Whoa," he whispered, overwhelmed with what they'd just  
shared.

"Yeah," Tommy answered just as softly, touching the firm  
lips with a questing fingertip.

Understanding the unspoken question, Jason shifted, feeling  
a delicious thrill as his softening cock brushed minutely against the yet-spasming  
walls of his friend's pussy, then bent his mouth to Tommy's. They kissed  
gently, leisurely, in pleasurable contrast to their intense coupling of  
only minutes ago, relishing the chance to taste and explore in the same  
fashion they'd started. When they separated at last, they smiled at each  
other, and with a sigh of mingled relief and regret, Tommy lowered his  
legs. The movement caused Jason's prick to slip out of its wet sheath,  
and the two rearranged themselves to cuddle in the afterglow.

Jason kissed the top of Tommy's head, the long brown curls  
spread over his chest.

"I didn't know it would be like this," he mused. "I mean,  
I'd heard other guys talk in the locker room, but ... "

"Mm-hmm," the White Ranger agreed, squeezing the trim  
waist and twining one long leg with a more muscular one. "I can see why  
some of them can't seem to get enough once they've started."

"Yeah. In any case, I'm just glad this is going to work."  
Jason grinned into the questioning brown eyes Tommy lifted to him. His  
own had an almost devilish sparkle to them that sent a small thrill skittering  
down Tommy's spine. "This camping trip promises to be _a lot_ more  
fun than I'd thought it would."

"You...!" Tommy mock-growled, suddenly pouncing on his  
friend who started to laugh outright. "What a typically male thing to say!"

"Like you don't agree  or would, if Zedd hadn't changed  
you?" Jason shot back, pinching a swaying breast that was within easy reach.  
Tommy instinctively thrust himself into the teasing caress, but it didn't  
stop him from pinning Jason down.

"Weeeell ..." he pretended to think, but the twinkle in  
the midnight eyes was too much to resist. He started to laugh. "You win,  
smartass. For now. But I'll get you for this!"

"You and what army?" the burly teen smirked. "For once,  
I outweigh you."

"You always do," Tommy bantered back. "And I still hold  
a higher grade belt."

"Won't help you," Jason replied, grasping Tommy's sensitive  
sides with the intention of tickling him into submission. Before he could  
go through with his intention, though, a loud growl from Tommy's stomach  
 and the look of startled surprise _that_ engendered  sent both  
teens into paroxysms of mirth.

"Man, I could eat a horse," Tommy groaned once their laughter  
had subsided and they were lying side by side again, gasping for breath.

"It's your own fault. Why didn't you eat before?"

"Too nervous. Is there some of that chicken left?"

"I think so. Come to think of it, I'd better have a sandwich  
or two myself," Jason commented as he scrambled into his underwear and  
crawled outside. Holding the tent flap up for his friend, he let his eyes  
sweep lingeringly down Tommy's barely-dressed form, lingering longest on  
the full breasts outlined by his red shirt which Tommy had appropriated.  
The swell of his tight little butt peeking from under the hem wasn't bad  
to look at, either, and without thinking he whistled in purely male appreciation.  
Tommy blushed and froze momentarily, but made no move to cover himself;  
it seemed hypocritical after what they'd just shared. Instead, he scooted  
over to the cooler they'd left just inside the tent and started rummaging  
for something to eat.

"You can't possibly be hungry  you've eaten almost a  
full meal," he remarked idly as he threw a sandwich to his friend who caught  
it deftly. For himself, Tommy unwrapped the remaining half chicken his  
mother had fried the day before. "Why the sudden appetite?"

"I need to keep my strength up for tonight; you wore me  
out, _babe_," Jason quipped with an exaggerated leer and got a ball  
of aluminum foil bouncing off his head for the barb. Laughing with the  
sheer giddiness of relief that they'd successfully taken the first hurdle  
on the road to Tommy's recovery, the two Rangers then dug in, both entertaining  
increasingly lustful thoughts about the night to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

** _Seven_ **

Zedd grumbled to himself as he switched his attention  
from the Red and White Rangers back to Angel Grove. He hadn't bothered  
to check on the two teens for several hours, since he couldn't get a clear  
view of what was going on anyway, but he had _not_ expected the apparent  
good cheer Jason and Tommy exhibited.

"What _is _it with those two, anyway?" he muttered.  
"Nothing Rita or I have done seems able to break their friendship up   
at least not for long. Damn them!"

By his very nature, the Evil Lord was incapable of understanding  
the bond of friendship, mutual interests and selfless devotion that existed  
between the two teens. It was why all efforts to destroy them had ultimately  
failed ... and would continue to do so. Realizing the futility of further  
observation for the moment, Lord Zedd searched the quiet streets for the  
rest of the Rangers. Billy was ensconced in his garage lab by now, Trini  
had gone out to dinner with her family, and Kimberly ...

"Aah!"

Finally, something worth watching!

The skinless Ruler of the Moon Fortress permitted himself  
a leering smile behind his visor. The luscious Pink Ranger was in her bedroom,  
stripping off her clothes, and padding towards the bathroom, where a tub  
was already filled with warm water. Just as Kimberly let fall her robe  
and stepped into her bath, Zedd settled back on his throne to enjoy the  
view.

***

It really was too hot for a warm bath, Kim mused as she  
poured some scented bath salts into the water. Absently she churned the  
steaming liquid with her hand, creating a light coating of frothy foam  
on the surface. But, she was too anxious about what was happening with  
Tommy up in the mountains, too worried if Jason would be able to help return  
her boyfriend into his normal form, to be able to read, work or stay downstairs  
watching TV with her mother. Hence, the bath; the petite girl hoped that  
it would relax her and maybe even make her sleepy enough to get through  
the night.

Kimberly sighed as she hung up her robe and sank into  
the warm water. The smell of wildflowers from the salts surrounded her,  
but instead of soothing her as it usually did, it brought her even more  
vivid images of Tommy ... of how he'd looked at her so longingly just before  
he'd teleported out with Jason, of how hurt his eyes had been when she'd  
been unable to touch him at first ... and it kept her wondering what he  
might be doing now.

_*Has he done it with Jason yet?*_

The young woman didn't _want_ to think about Tommy  
having sex with Jason, but once conceived, the thought would not go away.  
She'd shied from contemplating the necessary actions all day, finding it  
disturbing to imagine that Tommy would be experiencing the same kinds of  
feelings he'd engendered in her during their last date. Especially since  
she'd been too timid to give in to their mutual desires.

_*Why **did** I stop him?* _she  
asked herself. _*We were out in the open; it's not as if anything serious  
could've happened. And Mom needn't have known ...*_ But it had been  
more than that; while she was very familiar with the needs of her own body  
and sophisticated enough, despite her youth, to accept them as natural,  
Kimberly had been afraid of disappointing Tommy, of not being beautiful  
enough, experienced enough, _daring _enough to succumb to his gentle  
seduction. Now, it looked as if someone else, someone undeniably gorgeous  
and daring, would explore the possibilities with her boyfriend, teaching  
and learning together with Tommy what should have been _her _prerogative.  
Jason may be the wrong gender, but Kim had known from the start that his  
and Tommy's relationship was as close and tight as her own with the White  
Ranger  even if usually on a different level.

Grudgingly, the gymnast admitted to herself that she wished  
_she_  
could've helped Tommy ... that she was actually jealous!

Kim shifted in the tub, sloshing the water slightly. The  
movement teased her half-covered breasts and tickled the hidden folds between  
her legs. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sensation, and instinctively,  
her left hand sank beneath the bubbles and came to rest on the nest of  
brown curls.

_*Has Jason touched Tommy like this? Or ... has Tommy  
touched Jason ... there?*_

The image accompanying that thought sent a shiver down  
Kimberly's spine that she reluctantly identified as excitement.

"I ... I can't _possibly _be turned on by thinking  
of Tommy and Jason together!" she said aloud, more than slightly shocked  
by the fact that she _was_. "Oh my God ..." Kim moaned, sinking deeper  
into the scented tub, feeling her blush spread from her cheeks down her  
throat to her breasts. The downward rush of blood made her rosy-brown nipples  
tingle and harden. "Jason ... and Tommy ..." she breathed, as the flood  
of images overwhelmed her lively imagination, mingling with the sensations  
imprinted on her memory of how Tommy had caressed _her _in the park,  
of what _she_'d felt as his hands and lips coaxed her into arousal,  
and without being consciously aware of what she was doing, the Pink Ranger  
began to caress herself, nimble fingers following familiar paths as she  
abandoned herself to her favorite fantasy of making love to Tommy. Only  
this time, there were _two _hard bodies holding her, two hot mouths  
dusting kisses over her face and neck, two pairs of hands gliding across  
her aching breasts ...

***

If he were given to flights of fancy, Zedd would have  
thought his visor was steaming up as he avidly watched Kimberly writhe  
in her bathwater as she brought herself to a climax that left the petite  
girl limp and gasping for air. The clear tubes transporting life-giving  
fluids to his extremities were yea-close to bubbling over with excitement,  
and the Evil Overlord slumped back on his basalt throne, wishing for the  
hundredth time Goldar hadn't bungled the opportunity to make Kimberly his  
Queen. What a consort she would have made!

"I'd have exchanged your puny Power Coin for the jewels  
of half a galaxy, Pink Ranger," Zedd growled. "I could show you more fleshly  
delights in a month than that accursed White Ranger can ever hope to experience  
in his lifetime!"

He continued to observe Kimberly as she languidly washed  
herself once she'd recovered from her orgasm, climbed out of the cooling  
tub, put on a skimpy pink nightie and slipped into bed, curling up with  
a stuffed green dragon Tommy had once given her and lastly fell asleep,  
a dreamy smile on her lips.

"Yes, go to sleep, little Kimberly. Dream of your precious,  
foolish Tommy, but know this: there _will _come a day when I'll take  
a wife, and unless something cataclysmic happens, that will be you!"

With an impatient huff, Zedd shut off his eye ray and  
stomped off, his metal codpiece uncomfortably tight, to ponder ways and  
means of how he could lure the Pink Ranger to his side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

** _Eight_ **

On the morning of the third day, Tommy awoke to find Jason  
already gone from their shared tent. He strained his ears for a second;  
some faint splashing noises informed him that his friend was taking a bracing  
bath in the shallow pond.

*_My lover,*_ the White Ranger thought with an incredulous  
smile. Even after two nights of increasingly hot sex, he found the concept  
rather strange. But, the tingling between his legs told him otherwise   
that it was indeed a reality. Tommy stretched in his sleeping bag, enjoying  
the soft glide of the smooth lining against his naked skin. It brought  
back memories of the night before, and Tommy couldn't suppress a sensual  
sigh as he remembered.

~*~

They'd taken a long hike up a nearby mountain, and when  
they'd returned during late afternoon and rested some, both had decided  
to spar a little, pitting Jason's greater strength against Tommy's agility.  
It had taken a little while to adjust to his dimished strength, different  
angles and the like, but the long-haired Martial Artist soon had been able  
to compensate for his now-female form and given Jason quite a workout.  
Both had been exhilarated and exhausted when they called it a day, and  
had made a quick but satisfying meal out of provisions they'd brought along.  
They'd built a fire then, talking about everything and nothing; however,  
when Tommy reached over to the cooler for another can of juice at one point,  
he suddenly winced.

"What's up?" Jason asked idly, noting with some concern  
the grimace of pain on his friend's face.

"Nothing," Tommy claimed at first, but a cautious testing  
showed him that he might be mistaken. "I think I just pulled a muscle in  
my back," he grumbled. "I _knew_ I should have gotten up to get a  
drink; guess I overstretched a little."

"Man," Jason sympathized. "That sucks. Want me to try  
and work it out?" They had both learned some massaging techniques in the  
course of their karate training, and often helped each other relieve minor  
aches and pains after especially vigorous workouts.

"Would you?" Tommy requested when moving his right shoulder  
proved to be increasingly painful. "I don't think it's anything serious,  
I just moved wrong, but I don't want to be all stiff tomorrow, either."

"Sure." The dark-haired young man got up and carefully  
probed at his companion's back. A second wince told him when he'd found  
the cramped spot, as did the hardened knot of tissue under the smooth skin.  
"You'd better lie down; I can't work there when you're sitting up."

It was a quick decision to douse their campfire, stow  
and secure their provisions and retire to their tent. Intent only on getting  
out of his shirt with as little discomfort as possible, Tommy didn't notice  
Jason's appreciative look and soft intake of breath as he stripped to his  
waist, baring his generous breasts. With a sigh, he then stretched out  
on his belly, waiting for Jason to begin the massage.

The Red Ranger dug out a tube of muscle relaxant cream  
from his backpack and squeezed some between Tommy's shoulder blades, grinning  
devilishly as his friend yelped when the mentholated ointment hit his skin.

"Argh!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

Tommy craned his head backwards and glared at his friend.

"That was mean!"

"Yeah, so?"

"I'll get you for this; see if I don't," the prone teen  
grumbled, but lay back down when Jason placed his hands on his shoulders.  
However, his dire mutterings soon changed to contented sighs as Jason started  
to massage the cream all over his back. They bantered back and forth while  
Jason worked, diligently prodding at the cramped muscle until he had loosened  
it. However, he didn't stop there; using some more of the thick, slippery  
substance, he proceeded to give Tommy a very thorough all-over backrub.  
Tommy was enjoying the relaxing effect too much to notice that his friend  
was getting visibly aroused, his skin flushed and the midnight eyes started  
to gleam purposefully.

The White Ranger's sighs had long changed into a low purring  
sound as he practically oozed into the mattress; he was getting drowsy  
with the steady flow of Jason's hands up and down his back and hardly noticed  
when those warm hands unfastened the waistband of his shorts and slipped  
them down his legs, along with his underwear. He _did _notice, though,  
when his ass got the same attention as his back and arms, and a deep-throated  
moan rose from his chest as the warmth spread lower, flowing from his sensitized  
backside to between his thighs and caused a by-now familiar wetness there.

Jason watched delightedly as his ministrations made Tommy  
first squirm, then start to hump slightly against his hands; he wasn't  
unaffected by giving his friends such a thorough massage, and felt an insistent  
throbbing in his cock. Jason didn't fight his growing arousal. _*What  
a perfect way to get things started!* _Tonight, he was going to take  
Tommy hard, had longed to do so all day, but first there was something  
else he planned to do.

"Turn over," he commanded his friend huskily.

That deep voice wasn't to be denied, and Tommy obeyed  
without hesitation; stretching out on his back, he looked at his best friend  
with smoky eyes.

"What are you going to do to me?" he murmured, thrilled  
as he recognized the glitter in Jason's eyes.

"Anything I want. Do you mind?" The large hands were already  
smoothing down the slender arms and shoulders, and Tommy relaxed into the  
caress, sighing yet again when Jason skimmed over his belly up to his breasts.  
The brown tips were already hard with arousal, and practically begged to  
be touched.

"Yes ... no," Tommy moaned blissfully as he arched into  
the teasing touch. His lover smiled ferally and squirted some more cream  
into his palms, warming it slightly before placing them again on the silky  
abdomen. The scent of herbs rose from the heated skin as he rubbed the  
substance all over the smooth plane, and the cooling menthol contained  
in it made Tommy shiver with delight. Jason took his time, roaming up and  
down the writhing body, making sure he used up all of the ointment before  
he let his fingertips wander to the pebbled nubs, circling around and around  
until the dark areolas were crinkled and erect, straining upwards from  
the heaving mounds. The Red Ranger took both nipples between his thumbs  
and forefingers and pinched lightly, chuckling at the sharp hiss of breath  
he evoked.

"You like that?" he rumbled, his own breathing not quite  
steady anymore.

"Ooohh yeah," Tommy sighed, throwing his head back as  
he abandoned himself to the sensations coursing through him from his aching  
tits. "Suck my tits, Jase," he entreated, when the playful caresses threatened  
to drive him wild.

"In a minute. First, I'm going to kiss you."

Before the long-haired teen could answer, Jason leaned  
over him and closed his lips over the panting mouth, delving deep into  
the moist cavern. Tommy gave in willingly, twining his arms around the  
broad shoulders while their tongues duelled, and let his arousal be fanned  
to heights he'd only dreamed about scant days before. Both were out of  
breath when Jason finally withdrew and began to nibble and lick his way  
down the slender throat.

"Mmmm."

The throaty sound went directly into Jason's prick, and  
he shuddered once, finding his briefs and jeans suddenly very tight. However,  
much as he wanted to, he couldn't _quite_ bring himself to abandon  
the tempting swells so close to his mouth. So instead of undressing, he  
started to nip-kiss the soft flesh until he reached one straining nipple.  
The throbbing kernel of flesh felt hot against his tongue as Jason twirled  
it around and over the sensitive tissue, then switched to the other side.  
Tommy was pressing his face into his chest, and Jason obliged the mute  
plea, capturing first one, then the other small peak between his teeth  
and biting gently, careful to cause only pleasure, not pain.

"Jason!"

Tommy's voice was hardly recognizable as he begged for  
more of the exquisite torture, and Jason gathered the trembling nude form  
close while he suckled, driving his friend ever deeper into lust. At last,  
he released the hard points and lifted his head. He blew softly across  
the dampened flesh and laughed soundlessly as Tommy whimpered in mixed  
delight and disappointment; when the chocolate eyes sought out his own,  
he let his own arousal blaze forth and released the quivering form. Stripping  
quickly while Tommy watched, he then parted the smooth thighs and knelt  
between them. Tommy started to lift his legs over his shoulders, ready  
to receive his jutting phallus, but there was something else he'd been  
meaning to do. Shooting his lover a wicked grin, Jason just shook his head  
and spread him wide open. Not giving Tommy a chance to protest or even  
think, he lowered his head over the damp nest of brown curls and licked  
once along the slit.

Tommy shivered violently, his eyes snapping wide open  
in shock and disbelief.

"J-Jase?" he stammered, hardly able to speak. His best  
friend couldn't plan to ...

He could.

Tommy sobbed as Jason's tongue probed between his netherlips,  
drinking the wetness gathering there and slithering closer and closer to  
the point where all his pleasure seemed to be centered. When the agile  
organ at last touched the hidden pearl, Tommy's hands clenched in the sleeping  
bag he was resting on, and he found himself incapable of anything but accede  
to the demands his partner's mouth made on him as Jason ate him out, alternating  
rough, demanding licks with careful flicks of his tongue tip into his spasming  
channel. It was scary yet tremendously exciting what Jason was doing to  
him; every delicate swipe between his moist folds was oh-so-gentle, but  
sent him deeper into arousal than any other, more intense stimulation ever  
had. The spell-changed Ranger's head was starting to spin as his senses  
went into overload, lashed along by that wonderful, merciless organ until  
the waves of arousal swapped over and drowned him in mindless delight when  
he climaxed, screaming his lover's name.

Only slowly did Tommy's awareness of his surroundings  
return; Jason had his face still buried in his sex, lapping gently until  
he could feel the slender body relax under his hands. He was breathing  
hard when he finally placed a kiss at the top of the glistening slit in  
goodbye. Wiping his cheeks and chin dry on Tommy's inner thigh, Jason reared  
up as Tommy watched him breathlessly out of slumberous eyes. Giving himself  
a couple of hard strokes to prime his weeping shaft into optimum hardness,  
the broad-shouldered young man loomed over his lover. Both were incapable  
of speech, but moaned loudly as he placed the smooth tip of his cock at  
the entrance of Tommy's body and thrust once, hard. The smooth walls of  
the tight passage molded themselves around the throbbing invader and Tommy  
didn't resist having his legs thrown up high and Jason sank as deep as  
he could go in one long, drawn-out stroke until he was buried to the hilt.

There was an endless moment as the lovers savored the  
sensation of being joined as deeply as possible, then Tommy took Jason's  
face between both hands and kissed him.

"Fuck me, Jason," he whispered, tasting himself on the  
firm lips.

"Yesssssss......" Jason hissed, nearly insensate with  
desire. Returning the kiss hotly, he then braced himself as best he could  
and started to piston his hips, thrusting harder and harder until all he  
knew was the incredible tightness gripping his aching cock and the heat  
demanding to be quenched by his seed. Tommy met him thrust for thrust,  
spurring him on to deeper penetration by writhing underneath him. Both  
were sweat-soaked and their skin clung as they drove each other higher  
until the pinnacle of their mutual lust was scaled and they crashed over  
the precipice together, falling into the afterglow of a cataclysmic orgasm.

~*~

Tommy smiled lazily as he recalled the experience; he'd  
read and heard enough about oral sex, but who would've thought it would  
feel anything like _this_? He couldn't _wait_ to feel Jason's  
mouth on himself again ... sucking, licking, biting, driving him into a  
frenzy of wanting.

_*I wonder,* _he thought to himself, _*will it  
be the same for Kim?* _These past few days, images of his girlfriend  
had constantly hovered at the edge of his consciousness; every time Jason  
tried something new, experimented with a different technique or position,  
Tommy kept asking himself if he was ever going to try these same things,  
which felt so incredibly good, on the Pink Ranger. _*I hope so; however,  
first I need to be myself again.* _Deliberately, he turned his thoughts  
away from his predicament, concentrating instead of the things he and his  
best friend had done each morning and night. _*And boy, have we done  
a lot! Who'd've thought Jase could get this kinky?*_ Even in the privacy  
of his own mind, the White Ranger blushed as he remembered the ... innovative  
... way Jason had found to put ketchup on hot dogs.

Tommy shivered pleasurably. "Mmmm," he couldn't help the  
sigh as his hands curled automatically as if he were once more stroking  
Jason to renewed hardness, teasing and tickling the heavy balls until the  
tanned body had trembled with need and his friend had reached for him with  
barely-controlled desire. Tommy sighed again as he recalled clinging to  
that broad chest, meeting every thrust of the hot prick into his steaming  
sex with equal fervor until they both climaxed, to lie sweaty and limp  
in each other's arms. Washing each other afterwards had been almost as  
much fun; the night air had cooled their skin, even though Jason had joked  
he could see the droplets of water sizzle on Tommy's breasts, he was so  
hot. Idly, Tommy wondered if, after his morning bath, his Bro's skin would  
still feel as silky as when it was warm. Which brought him back to the  
here and now.

Outside, the splashing had stopped, and with a reluctant  
groan, Tommy slipped out from under his sleeping bag and opened the tent  
flap. It was high time for his own morning ablutions; they'd planned another  
hike, and he'd better get his butt in gear. Grabbing some fresh clothes,  
he crawled outside.

Straightening in the morning sun, Tommy relished the gentle  
breeze on his naked skin. Both Rangers had soon lost their initial shyness  
around each other, something that had maybe been inevitable now that they  
were opposite genders, and moved in each other's company as if nothing  
at all had changed. It was yet another sign of their rapport that nothing,  
not even Zedd's most personally upsetting spell, could undermine. Jason  
was standing on the other side of the shallow pool, waist-deep in the clear  
water, and shaking the cool liquid out of his dark hair.

"Good morning!"

Jason turned at the cheerful greeting and grinned at his  
best friend.

"Mornin'," he called back and sloshed around, making his  
way back to shore. The sunlight glistened on his wet body, rivulets of  
water running down the broad chest, trickling over his hips towards the  
thatch of dark hair pooling between the powerful thighs ... Tommy's mouth  
went dry as more and more of that incredibly built body was revealed, the  
thick phallus nesting among almost-black curls slightly shrivelled from  
the cold, but still impressive enough. With an inward shudder of delight,  
Tommy remembered how it felt like to touch the smooth shaft, to feel it  
lengthen and swell in his hand ... exactly like his own used to, and yet  
inexplicably, strangely, excitingly different.

Jason waded out of the water and perfunctorily stripped  
the moisture from his arms and chest. He then did a few stretching exercises  
to work some kinks out of his shoulders, when he suddenly became aware  
of Tommy's eyes. He looked up and caught his breath as he read the smoldering  
fire in the chocolate orbs. The Red Ranger let his arms fall to his sides,  
straightened slowly and held that gaze, aware that those brown eyes were  
raking up and down his body, fastening at last upon his groin. He had to  
fight the impulse to gulp audibly.

"Tommy? Are you okay?" Both teens were surprised how husky  
the murmured question sounded.

"I'm fine," the girl/man breathed, moving forward as if  
in a daze, still staring at the thickening shaft.

Jason _did_ swallow hard, then, feeling his skin  
warm not only from the morning sun beating on his back, but more so from  
that increasingly lust-filled look. He stood stock-still, held captive  
by nothing more than Tommy's eyes, incapable of any movement but the heaving  
of his chest as his breath started to come in short, shuddering gasps.

Tommy finally came to a halt less than a foot or so away  
from his best friend; far away enough to be not touching, but close enough  
to sense the peculiar mixture of warm skin/watery chill radiate outwards  
from Jason to his own naked flesh. Slowly, he raised both hands to frame  
the tanned face and drew the dark head down to his own, fastening his mouth  
to the firm lips which opened readily at the first thrust of his tongue.  
Tommy kissed Jason deeply, their bodies undulating against each other until  
both were gasping for air. Next, Tommy let his fingers glide from the short  
hair to the broad shoulders, skimming down across sculpted pectorals, briefly  
teasing the small brown nipples so that Jason hissed with pleasure and  
surprise. The White Ranger smiled sexily into his best friend's eyes, then  
his hands dropped lower still, briefly teasing the muscular ass before  
inching towards the minutely-twitching rod. Both teens' eyes held the other's,  
never wavering, not even when Tommy sank slowly to his knees so that the  
purplish cockhead was only inches away from his lips. He flicked his tongue  
to moisten them, a quick swipe over soft surfaces, leaving the inviting  
mouth glistening pink.

Jason held his breath in anticipation.

Instead of opening up, though, or licking at the yearning  
organ, Tommy stroked his cheek against the satiny length, letting it glide  
all over his face as he learned the musky scent of his best friend's manhood.  
He nuzzled into the tightly-curled hair at the base, smiling once more  
as he ran his opened lips over the sensitive balls which shifted in their  
crinkly sac, and he echoed Jason's sharp intake of air very softly himself  
when he pressed a kiss to the root of the pulsing organ. Closing his eyes,  
concentrating only on feeling, Tommy then mouthed his way in fractions  
of inches up the hard shaft, holding his lover enthralled and motionless  
simply by the utter sensuality of his caresses.

At long last, Tommy reached the hot cockhead. He pressed  
tiny little kisses along the ridge, felt Jason sway and blindly reached  
up to grasp the narrow hips in his hands, steadying him. He was _not_  
letting him get away! A first drop of clear fluid oozed from the tiny slit  
and Tommy kissed it away, tasting it curiously with his tongue, and Jason  
moaned.

"Tooooom-meeeeeee......!"

The needy sound reverberated through Tommy, causing a  
responding shiver; wanting to hear the deep voice plead with him thus once  
more, he closed his lips cautiously around the satin-smooth knob. It took  
everything he had to remain like this for endless seconds, and every ounce  
of control Jason possessed not just to take hold of the brown locks and  
thrust forward, burying himself in the heat of that tempting orifice. He  
started to tremble with expectation and need, moaning his lover's name  
again. At last, Tommy relented and touched his wet tongue to the sensitive  
skin, letting it slide and swirl around as far as he could while slowly  
lowering his head towards the bush of near-black hair. It was an exhilarating  
experience, feeling that thick rod glide deep, silk over steel, until the  
round tip hit the back of his throat. More than half of Jason's length  
had disappeared in his lover's mouth.

Tommy held Jason there as long as he could without choking,  
then gradually withdrew, letting his lips and tongue caress the smooth  
length until he once more reached the ridge. Sucking softly, he then raised  
his eyes to Jason's. Dark fire blazed down on him, and he smiled sensually  
around his mouthful of male flesh before sinking back down again towards  
the rippling abdomen, this time taking even more of the velvety shaft inside.  
At the edge of his consciousness, he heard Jason sigh and groan, then two  
large hands twined possessively in his long hair, and everything ceased  
to exist but the insistent rhythm of licking and sucking, thrusting and  
withdrawing that was as old as time, but still so very new to the young  
lovers.

Thrills chased each other up and down Tommy's spine as  
he continued to play his tongue along the throbbing flesh, drilling gently  
into the slit to taste more of his friend's pre-come, flicking the tip  
against the vee of the ridge to make Jason shiver and moan, until finally  
he felt a strong pulse course through the dick he was suckling so hungrily.  
An instant later, a spurt of salty seed hit the roof of his mouth, then  
another and another until he held all of Jason's essence within.

Tommy raised his head once more, to look into Jason's  
flushed, sweaty, pleasure-filled face. Still holding his barely-softened  
cock deep in his throat, he then swallowed everything Jason had given him,  
letting his lover feel the contractions as he drank his seed like a rare  
wine. Only when there was nothing more to consume did Tommy let the wilting  
prick slip from between his lips, licking the tip a last time in farewell.  
Lithely, he rose from his kneeling position to move into Jason's arms and  
the two kissed deeply, sharing the taste of the Red Ranger's orgasm until  
they were quite out of breath.

"Oh man, that was ..." Jason sighed exhaustedly as they  
separated, unable to find words adequate to describing what he'd just felt.  
Tommy grinned triumphantly at the tone; for days now _he'd_ been the  
one to find himself reduced to speechless wonder by the sensations his  
friend's lovemaking produced in his willing body; to be able to turn the  
tables for once was ... heady. Besides, Jason had looked simply too irresistible  
all wet and glistening as he'd emerged from the water; although Tommy had  
never in a million years thought he'd want to take another man's cock in  
his mouth or drink his come, he'd been unable to stop himself. Come to  
think of it, he wouldn't mind doing it again if it meant he could bring  
that thick shaft to full erection again faster ... to assuage his own insistent  
need. Tommy squirmed slightly as he became aware of the wetness and ache  
between his legs; giving Jason this first blowjob had aroused him far more  
than he'd imagined.

"Let's lie down," he suggested throatily, bestowing another  
deep, thoroughly intoxicating kiss on his best friend. Together, the two  
Rangers moved away from the pond's edge to a mossy spot underneath a large  
tree and sank down, to lie cuddled together as they enjoyed the skin-on-skin  
contact. "Mmmm," Tommy purred as Jason's hands skimmed down his back to  
cup his ass. "I like when you do that!"

"Seems you like a lot of things we've been doing lately,"  
Jason jibed, stealing one more kiss before settling Tommy's head on his  
shoulder, the better to relish the afterglow. His senses were still reeling  
from what had just happened; for days he'd wished Tommy might suck him  
off, but hadn't wanted to ask. Having his wish come true, and in this way,  
instigated by Tommy himself, was overwhelming.

While Tommy certainly hadn't been passive in their lovemaking,  
responding eagerly, even enthusiastically to everything Jason could think  
of doing, he'd never taken the initiative before. Jason didn't know if  
that was due to Tommy being a girl now or if it was part of his nature  
... no, somehow that didn't seem right. The White Ranger was many things,  
but 'passive' wasn't exactly one of them. The young man grinned, nuzzling  
into the long brown locks spread over his chest. _*I wonder what brought  
that on,*_ he thought; _*just that I ate him out last night, or something  
else?*_ The young man had no ready answer.

_*Does it really matter? Guess not,*_ he mused, remembering  
the many instances since they'd come up here when Tommy had made his preferences  
known in no uncertain terms, telling him by word and deed how he could  
bring him the most pleasure. Aloud, he only said, "Speaking of like ...  
is there anything I can do for you?"

He teasingly plucked at a pebbled nipple; despite his  
own post-orgasmic lassitude, it hadn't escaped the Red Ranger's notice  
that his partner was moving restlessly against him, not _quite _rubbing  
his moist crotch against his thigh. And besides, it seemed only fair to  
return the favor in whichever way Tommy wished.

"Uh huh," Tommy nodded, kissing the smooth chest before  
lifting smoldering brown eyes to his friend's. "You could fuck me." The  
bold statement hung between them for a long instant. "I _really_ need  
you in me, Jase."

"It'll be my pleasure, believe me." Jason sent a friendly  
leer at his partner, hands already glossing over a full breast and delightfully  
smooth buttcheeks. He hadn't quite gotten his second wind yet and was just  
about to suggest Tommy give him a little 'assistance', when something in  
his lover's expression registered. An unexpected thought rose, took hold  
and while Jason shifted somewhat to gain better access to the so-soft mounds  
with their peaked tips, he gave it voice before he got cold feet. _*It's  
what I'd want ...* _If Tommy went for it, this was _not_ going  
to be easy.

"On second thought ... why don't _you_ fuck _me_?"

Tommy froze.

"W-what?" he gaped, not sure he'd heard right. "What do  
you mean?"

"I mean, for once _you_ should be the one to set  
the pace, to decide what we're doing," Jason elaborated. Lying in each  
other's arms as they were, he didn't miss the accelerated heartbeat and  
excited flush his suggestion elicited. It showed him that he was onto something.  
"That _is_ what you want, isn't it?" he asked softly, looking deeply  
into the chocolate eyes. The expression in them hovered between fright  
and arousal.

Arousal won.

"Are you sure?" Tommy enquired, already freeing himself  
from the strong arms. He hadn't known it before, but now that Jason had  
raised the issue, he became aware that this was indeed his desire ... and  
that it went beyond simple _wanting_ to take the lead, already had  
become a _need_.

"Quite sure," Jason assured his best friend. "Go for it,  
Tommy; take what you need from me." As always, he'd guessed Tommy's mood  
correctly. He released the last hold he had on the slender body and lay  
back on the soft moss, relaxed and waiting. "I'm all yours."

Tommy sat up, rather dazed. For a few moments, his mind  
went completely blank, and he had no idea whatsoever what to do, or even  
where to start. Instead, he just looked at the sculpted body stretched  
out completely open right next to him, tanned skin warm over hard muscles,  
waiting only for his touch. He reached out a slightly unsteady hand to  
a cheek rough and shadowed with morning stubble. "You need to shave," he  
murmured inconsequentially.

"You want me to do it now?" Jason replied oh-so-agreeably,  
making as if to get up there and then and hunt for his shaving kit. He  
was only barely suppressing an incredulous snicker. Tommy couldn't possibly  
be serious, could he?

"No  no! I just ... I ..." Tommy stammered, flustered,  
as he instinctively pressed Jason back onto the moss. Before he could form  
a more coherent reply, Jason reared up and gave him a quick, gentle kiss.

"'S okay, Tommy, I was only teasing you a little. Don't  
worry so much. Take whatever time you need, do whatever feels right ...  
this is _your_ show. I'll be okay with whatever you decide to do.  
I promise." The dark eyes looked sincerely at him, albeit with a hint of  
gentle laughter in their depths.

Chagrined yet oddly reassured, Tommy felt his cheeks flame,  
but he managed a sheepish grin. "I ... I don't even know where to start,"  
he confessed.

Jason grinned back at him, midnight eyes going soft with  
affection.

"Why don't you start the way we did right at the beginning  
 with a kiss?" he suggested, licking his lips exaggeratedly and waggling  
his eyebrows in a comical leer. Tommy had to laugh at the sheer outrageousness  
of the gesture.

"You ...!" he growled, pinning the broad shoulders to  
the ground as he moved to hover over his best friend. To his delight, Jason  
offered no resistance whatsoever to the gently aggressive move, continuing  
to lie pliant beneath him. He found further comfort and reassurance in  
the familiar banter.

"One day, I'll make you eat every word you said these  
last few days, smartass," Tommy threatened more than half-seriously, only  
to find he needed to take stronger measures to shut the irrepressible Red  
Ranger up.

"Actually, I'd prefer to eat youmnmfffph!"

Exasperated, Tommy pounced on his lover, insecurities  
forgotten, and closed the laughing mouth the only way he could think of  
 with his own. The two teens kissed until they were both out of breath.

"I swear, sometimes you're worse than Zack," Tommy grumbled,  
reluctant laughter in his voice, nip-kissing his way along the prickly  
jawline.

"Shall I take that as a compliment, or an insult?" The  
deep voice shook with amusement, but Jason very obligingly angled his head  
so Tommy could nosh at his ear.

"Whichever way you like. Later, though." An insistent  
tongue slipped once more between willingly offered lips. "Right now, the  
only one who's going to do any taking is me." Short fingernails raked teasingly  
down the broad chest.

"Promises, promises," Jason couldn't resist a last shot  
before he lost his breath under the fiery assault his lover launched at  
him.

"You bet your ass that's a promise, Bro," Tommy confirmed,  
tweaking the tiny nipples none-too-gently. "Now shut the hell up and pay  
attention to what I'm doing!"

"Yessiiiiiiirrrrrrr ......" Jason's cheeky reply changed  
to a low moan as Tommy began to attack his most sensitive spots in earnest.  
The slender hands teased, stroked, tickled and pinched, sometimes skirting  
the edge between pleasure and pain, but for every little hurt the nimble  
fingers caused, there was a hot, wet mouth to suck and lick it away or  
turn it into an exquisitely arousing caress.

It had been Jason's intention to curb his instincts for  
Tommy's sake, unsure if he could relinquish control to such an extent,  
but he soon found that his earlier fear of being unable to go through with  
it had been unfounded. His lover never even gave him a chance. It seemed  
as if Tommy was _everywhere_  biting down on his nipples, kissing  
his throat, pumping his once-more straining cock or licking at his contracting  
balls. All the burly young man could do was lie back, stare sightlessly  
into the leaves fluttering overhead and accept what his lover chose to  
do to him, driving him deeper and deeper into desire. There was a freedom  
in being so passive Jason hadn't expected, and he thrilled to this new  
experience.

For his part, Tommy reveled in taking the leading role  
this once. He knew, in some corner of his mind, that their present respective  
anatomies made the reverse somehow more natural, but it wasn't in his nature  
to accept another's dominance easily; only the deep trust he had for Jason  
had made it possible for him at all to submit so far. Now, when Jason was  
returning this trust measure for measure, were they equals again  the  
way it should be. Apart from that, it was highly arousing to reduce the  
strong body of his friend to such a quivering mass of desire that he trembled  
under every single touch.

"You like that, hmm?" he questioned huskily when his fingers  
strayed underneath the furry sac, skimming the sweaty cleft just around  
the hidden opening and Jason tossed his head from side to side with delight,  
responding eagerly to his friend's advances. Not that he would, but he  
couldn't hold back his ecstatic sighs if his life depended on it!

"C-can't you t-telll .... oooohhhh," he rasped.

"Just making sure," the long-haired teen murmured, taking  
the weeping prick into his mouth. He smiled, unseen by his lover as he  
started to suck leisurely. _*This is FUN! No wonder_ _Jase likes  
to drive me up the walls during foreplay! Well, let's see what else I can  
do ...*_ Mouth and hands once more started to wander.

Jason's skin was damp with sweat before Tommy let up.  
Deciding that it was enough for the moment, the White Ranger became aware  
once more of his own needs, denied for far too long. Gliding along the  
smooth chest, he bent over the flushed face again. A deep, hard kiss, eagerly  
returned, then Tommy let his aching breasts brush the gasping mouth.

"Suck my nipples, Jase," he commanded throatily. "I want  
you to lick them until they're as hard as your cock!" He sighed with pleasure  
as his lover complied promptly, capturing the hard peaks between his teeth  
and flicking his tongue fast around the sweet, throbbing nubs until Tommy  
was yea-close to sobbing with need. Only the persistent itch centered at  
the apex of his thighs enabled him to lift the dark head from its feast.  
Rolling onto his back and spreading his legs wide in shameless invitation,  
Tommy gave the next order.

"Eat me ..."

Wordlessly, breathing hard with excitement, Jason scrambled  
into position. With his first lick, he parted the slick, drenched folds;  
his second unerringly found the hidden kernel and fastened onto it, lashing  
back and forth as slow or as fast as Tommy demanded of him with his sighs,  
jerking of hips and hands in his hair. The tangy nectar flowed freely,  
filling his mouth and he hastened to drink it all, drowning in the ecstatic  
sounds his lover made. He was losing himself in the sheer carnality of  
the situation, all set to drive Tommy over the edge into oblivion with  
his mouth, when he found to his surprise that the slim thighs were clamping  
together, denying him further access to this little piece of paradise.

"Enough," Tommy moaned, torn between wanting the sweet  
torture to never end and wanting something more  the hot, hard shaft penetrating  
him as deeply as possible, filling him to capacity until his whole being  
was consumed with the fire raging in his veins. "Fuck me, Jase  _NOW_!!!"

"How?" Jason gasped, more than ready himself for release.  
His cock felt hard enough to drill holes, and the only hole he wanted to  
drill into was located in the wet heat of his best friend's sex.

Hesitating for only a second, Tommy took hold of the broad  
shoulders. Looking deeply into the glittering near-black eyes, he voiced  
his own hidden fantasy. "I want to be on top ..."

"Go for it, then," Jason smiled wolfishly, understanding  
perfectly. He rolled onto his back and helped his friend straddle his hips,  
to perch right on top of his aching length. "I told you, anything you want."

"Mmm," Tommy sighed contendedly as he swayed back and  
forth, teasing his drenched folds with Jason's heat. Every now and then,  
if he moved _just_ right, the velvety cap would rub against his clit,  
sending electric bolts into every part of his body. However, he was too  
revved to hold back much longer. Bracing himself on hands and knees, he  
raised his hips, groaning as he lost contact with the thick cock. "Help  
me!" he demanded breathlessly.

The prone teen grasped his own sex, lifting it upright  
and steadying the hard shaft. An instant of seeking, of slow fumbling,  
then the wide tip slipped into the wet entrance. Both froze, their eyes  
locking, then Tommy slowly straightened into a kneeling position. For just  
a second, he held himself poised above the long, thick cock, until their  
mutual need became too much and he sank down, down, filling his spasming  
channel with throbbing heat. Jason and Tommy groaned their delight. As  
soon as his senses stopped spinning, Tommy fixed his friend with a sensuous  
stare.

"Don't move."

Incapable of anything but a mute nod, Jason just took  
hold of the smooth ass and let his lover take over. He echoed every ecstatic  
sigh as Tommy started to ride him, rising up and down, sometimes twisting  
his hips, watching avidly as the silky skin flushed all over and took on  
a light glow when the exertion caused Tommy to perspire. Most of his attention,  
though, was fixed on the full, bouncing breasts, swaying so temptingly  
just out of his reach, however. He would only need to glide one hand up  
from the slim hips to catch a soft mound, but Tommy hadn't asked for it,  
so ...

Just when the compulsion became nigh irresistible, Tommy  
slammed down onto his pelvis once more. His fingers were busily delving  
between his netherlips, seeking out the pleasure pearl hidden there, and  
he gasped for help when he couldn't seem to find relief on his own.

"Touch my tits, Jase  please!"

Only too glad to obey the desperate plea, Jason placed  
his own strong fingers on the hardened tips, tweaking them gently at first,  
then harder when Tommy moaned. He was kneading the firm globes thoroughly  
when his lover started to go wild above him. Slender hips gyrated in a  
frenzy of desire, fingers flew over the tiny love button and finally Tommy  
uttered a stifled scream, froze in mid-motion and clamped every interior  
muscle around the hard shaft. Endless spasms enveloping his dick were nearly  
enough to send Jason over the edge, too, but he clenched his teeth and  
waited Tommy's orgasm out, catching him in a soothing embrace when he collapsed  
bonelessly on top of him at last.

"Oh wow ..." was all the long-haired teen was able to  
gasp when he became aware of his surroundings again at last. "That ...  
that was incredible!" He tried to roll off the broad chest, but the muscular  
arms held him fast; large warm hands were moving slowly up and down his  
back, coaxing the last tremors from him. Tommy felt deliciously weary and  
weak as a kitten, but as he took stock of his situation, he noticed that  
he was still filled with pulsating heat. Puzzled, and feeling a new, tiny  
thrill skitter down his spine, he lifted his head and sought out midnight  
eyes that were sparkling with lust. "You ... you didn't come ..."

"No," Jason admitted huskily. "I want to take you hard,  
and fast. The _other_ way," he grinned, pumping once upwards to inch  
a little further into the tight passage. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Not at all," Tommy smiled, then yelped in surprise when  
his lover clasped him tight and rolled both of them over. "Smooth move,  
Bro," he approved, and moaned sensually as Jason lifted his legs over his  
shoulders, drawing back for that first, deep thrust until only the very  
tip of his penis was still held inside the clinging folds.

"Yeah. Now, hold on ..." He sought out the panting mouth  
with his own, then snapped his hips forward sharply, hitting Tommy's deepest  
recesses. They groaned their delight into each other's mouths, tongues  
dueling in sync with the rhythm the thick shaft set. Tommy soon found himself  
poised on the brink of another orgasm as he abandoned himself to the lustful  
possession by his teammate. Jason pistoned his friend's wet pussy in a  
demanding cadence, snapping his loins back and forth furiously until his  
balls contracted and gave up his boiling seed, letting it flow out of his  
throbbing cock into the narrow hole. He bellowed his release in a primal  
shout that triggered his partner's climax as well, and both teens soon  
lay gasping for breath in each other's arms, weary but sated, kissing gently  
while the last spasms faded and their heartbeats returned to normal.

 

 

 

 

** _Nine_ **

"Well, well, well, Red Ranger  I didn't think you had  
it in you," Lord Zedd commented. He'd tried once more to spy on Jason and  
Tommy, and a minute-long clearing up in the planetary disturbances had  
allowed him to watch the former leader of Earth's Rangers take his successor  
fast and furiously.

"Or rather, that Tommy gets to have you in _him_,"  
the Evil Monarch gloated. "I knew he would not cut off his friends' balls  
to save himself, but I never imagined he'd take to his new role in life  
_this_  
fast! I wonder how the two Power Punks will explain their new relationship  
to the Pink Ranger? How heartbroken poor little Kimberly will be," Zedd  
mock-mourned.

He shut off his visor again; planetary rotation or whatever  
 Finster had repeatedly tried to explain, but Zedd wasn't really interested  
in the _why _or _how _as long as the end result was the same:  
he could no longer watch the Red and White Rangers fuck. Which was a pity,  
really; seemed as if Goody-two-shoes Jason had a nice little naughty trick  
or two up his sleeve to wear Tommy out so thoroughly, and apparently not  
for the first time, either  made further observation impossible, and it  
was time to think about how to use what he'd seen to his advantage. Muttering  
to himself under his breath, Zedd sat on his throne, drumming his steel-tipped  
fingers on an armrest. The past few days had been boring as all get-out;  
sure, he'd sent a few platoons of Putties to Earth, just to keep the remaining  
three Rangers on their toes, but there was no real challenge in taking  
on half a team; why waste a perfectly good monster on them?

However, reviewing the scene he'd watched up in the mountains  
once more, the skinless being slowly began to formulate a plan.

"Hmmm ... with good old Tommy being boinked by Jason,  
what will Kimberly do now? I wonder ... maybe she'll be more ... receptive  
... to an offer by a _real_ man now!" Losing himself in fiendish plans,  
Zedd never noticed that Baboo was slowly backing away, out of the throne  
room and his Master's sphere. The alien alchemist was shivering with dread  
under his blue-tinged fur. It had seemed so unlikely, given Tommy's relationship  
with the Pink Ranger, Human prejudices concerning sexual relations, and  
it had never worked on Muralis, the planet of origin of the _sha'nach_  
plant, because of a strong cultural taboo, which was why he hadn't mentioned  
the possibility to Lord Zedd ... but castration was _not_ the only  
way to restore a changed Human male back to his original form; prolonged  
and intense sexual intercourse just _might_ work as well. If Zordon  
and that cursed genius, the Blue Ranger, had figured that out ... Baboo  
had no desire to be anywhere near his Master if that was true. He would  
have preferred the other side of the Galaxy, really, but since that was  
out of the question, the deepest level of the moon's castle would just  
have to do. Stealthily, Baboo scurried away.

***

On Tuesday afternoon, Kimberly was a nervous wreck. Every  
night, she'd continued to be plagued by visions of her boyfriend and the  
team leader, locked in a heated embrace; while she had no real concept  
of what it would look like exactly, she had a _very _vivid imagination.  
After all, everybody on the team had been able to see that Tommy was just  
as attractive as a girl as in his male form, and Jason ... if they hadn't  
known each other practically since Kindergarten and considered each other  
almost like brother and sister, Kim was honest enough to admit that her  
friend was precisely the type of guy she used to fall for before Tommy  
entered her life. Strong, intelligent, absolutely gorgeous ... and a really  
nice guy to boot. It had only served to inflame her senses, so recently  
awakened by her deepening feelings for the White Ranger, all the more.  
Kimberly was torn between chagrin and embarrassment, but thinking of her  
two teammates together made her seek relief at her own hands every night,  
and sometimes even during the day when she could snatch a moment's privacy  
 something she'd _never_ done before, not even in the early days  
of falling in love with the then-Green Ranger.

"I can't stand this anymore!" she moaned into her diet  
soda as she relaxed with Trini, Billy and a recently-returned Zack at Ernie's  
after the latest pointless Putty attack. "This is killing me!"

"What is, Kimberly?" Billy asked, momentarily puzzled.  
"I have to admit, Zedd's activity seems to have no particular purpose these  
days, but ..." he shut up abruptly as he noticed the petite girl's tear-filled  
glare. Belatedly, the young genius realized Kim was referring to personal  
problems rather than Ranger business. He lowered his gaze in embarrassment.  
Trini shook her head reprovingly at him and draped a comforting arm around  
her best friend's shoulders.

"Relax, Kim; Billy didn't mean it like that.  I'm sure  
Tommy will be okay; please don't fret so much. How are you holding up?"  
she asked, noticing the dark circles under the brown eyes with some concern.  
Kim sighed disconsolately, dabbing the threatening tears away.

"I ... I'm not sleeping very well," she admitted, turning  
weary eyes on her friends. "I'm worried about Tommy, about how this 'cure'  
will affect our relationship ... if it'll work at all ..."

"It ought to," Billy interjected softly when the Pink  
Ranger paused for breath. "I went over the data with Zordon and Alpha four  
times in all since last Saturday, and there is no reason why the, um, treatment  
shouldn't be completely effective. The only thing we couldn't determine  
was how often or how intensely Jason and Tommy need to, ah, apply the,  
er, remedy." The Blue Ranger blushed furiously; even using the most neutral  
euphemisms didn't help his overactive imagination. He'd been repeatedly  
forced to resort to self-gratification when he'd tried to calculate frequency  
and necessary intensity of his teammates engaging in sexual intercourse.  
All out of the desire to help his friends, naturally.

"Yeah, you told us," Kimberly sighed. "It still doesn't  
help much. Besides ..." she hesitated, unsure whether she should tell her  
friends about what else made her uneasy these days. Receiving only encouraging  
looks, she continued. "I know it sounds totally silly, guys, but ... I  
feel as if I'm being watched. At home. I _know_ there's no-one; I  
checked, and I even contacted Alpha by communicator to scan my house and  
make sure, and yet I can't help this itchy feeling at the back of my neck.  
You know?" She rubbed her hand underneath her caramel locks to illustrate,  
in a gesture oddly reminiscent of Tommy.

To her relief, all three Rangers nodded understandingly.

"Sort of like in the early days, when Rita would attack  
us at every turn? And we just _knew _she was sitting up there on the  
Moon, spying on us?" Trini ventured.

"Exactly!" Kim exclaimed, her eyes lighting up momentarily.  
Then, they clouded again. "But I ... well, _we_ got used to it, I  
thought," she muttered.

"It's probably just because Zedd hasn't sent down a monster  
all weekend," Zack shrugged. "I know _I'm _getting edgy when things  
have been too quiet too long. That, and your worry about Tommy ..." his  
voice trailed off.

"Very likely that is the reason for your current unease,  
Kimberly," Billy concurred. "The cumulative effect is playing havoc with  
your sensibilities to an uncommon degree."

"I guess you're right. But still ..." Kim frowned, not  
entirely convinced.

"You know what? You need a diversion from all this brooding,"  
the Black Ranger offered. "And lucky for you, the Zack-man knows just the  
thing!"

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Trini asked, sending  
an encouraging smile towards her Pink teammate. Zack grinned, bouncing  
in his chair like a first-grader.

"I was passing the library on my way here, and saw a few  
official-looking types putting up a poster," the dark-skinned young man  
explained eagerly. "Seems there's this international organization which  
is looking for candidates to take part in a Peace Conference made up entirely  
out of teenagers."

The three teens shared interested looks.

"I read about this in the paper the other day," Billy  
remembered. "A most worthy cause, and an excellent concept  to bring the  
future generation together early, before prejudices and habit can form  
barriers to free communication and interaction. If it should prove workable,  
it may be a true chance at world peace, maybe even within our lifetimes."

"Right. And you know what's the best part? The chosen  
delegates get to live in Europe to finish school and maybe even go to university  
there! Man, just think  London, Paris, Rome!" Zack enthused, jumping up  
from his chair and doing a few exuberant dance steps.

"As far as I know, the Conference is to be held in Geneva,  
Switzerland," Billy commented, an amused smile playing around his mouth  
when his friend's expression fell somewhat disappointedly. "But I agree,  
it would be quite an experience despite the less glamorous locale."

"Well, let's check it out then!"

Kim observed the eager gleam in her companions' eyes.  
Sighing once more, she deliberately shook off her funk. _*Only one more  
night until Tommy comes back  and I hope NOT the way he left!*_ Searching  
for and finding at least a portion of her usual optimism, shored up by  
her friends' support, she put on a bright smile that was only slightly  
forced.

"Oh okay, why not? I doubt they'll pick someone from a  
small town like Angel Grove, but what can it hurt to take a look?"

"That's the spirit, Kim! Let's go, guys," Zack cheered,  
and led the way out of the Youth Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

** _Ten_ **

The sunset was spectacular as always in the mountains  
this time of year, but Jason doubted that Tommy was watching the lightshow  
Mother Nature put on. His best friend was standing at the edge of 'their'  
clearing again, looking out over the valley towards Angel Grove  just  
like he'd done when they'd arrived up here. The slumped shoulders told  
him where Tommy's thoughts were, and with a sigh the burly teen abandoned  
his packing. Instead, he made his way over to the slender figure  still  
female, despite their best efforts.

Jason couldn't hold back a lusty grin. His initiation  
into the world of sex had certainly been far less inhibited and _much_more  
intense than he'd ever dreamed. He sympathized fully with Tommy, would  
probably feel exactly like him if their situations were reversed, but that  
didn't alter the fact that he'd enjoyed himself immensely. And he'd personally  
hand his Power Coin to Zedd if Tommy hadn't, as well. _*Nobody's THAT  
good an actor  and I'd swear on all I hold dear that Tommy's not been  
faking **any**thing. No way!*_

Ever since their tryst yesterday morning, the two had  
achieved a freedom with each other that surpassed everything they'd shared  
before. Their nightly lovemaking had been intense and satisfying from the  
outset, both physically and emotionally, but Jason still felt slightly  
stunned at what had happened in the aftermath of Tommy taking the lead  
for once.

_*Man, we've been going at each other like rabbits!*  
_he  
thought with a wry chuckle, careful his Bro couldn't hear him and think  
he was making light of his mood. _*I actually lost count how often we  
did it yesterday_. _Let's see ... we each came twice here at the pond;  
the third time was when we hiked to the summit and Tommy bent over to tie  
his shoe and practically shoved that tight little ass in my face ... also,  
he took off his shirt when I did during lunch and he's still not wearing  
a bra or anything; how could I resist?*_ The Red Ranger felt his shorts  
tighten as he pictured his teammate's full mounds, their brown tips hard  
and rubbing sensually against his slick skin when Tommy had pressed himself  
against his back, nibbling at his neck from behind.  
_*Then, when we came  
back and swam together, I fucked him in the water, with Tommy sitting on  
that rock over there ... there was the sixty-nine in front of the fire,  
and once more when he woke me at night because he had to go outside for  
a minute ... that's ... SEVEN times?!? Whoa! No wonder we didn't do much  
since getting up!* _Jason whistled mentally as he came to stand behind  
his friend and lover.

Tommy sensed Jason as he approached; he didn't turn around,  
but when a large, warm hand came to rest on his shoulder, he covered it  
with his own, accepting the silent comfort gratefully. Neither spoke for  
a while, letting their physical closeness express what words couldn't.  
At last, Tommy sighed deeply. Still looking out over the lush mountain  
landscape, he searched for the right way to say what was on his mind.

"What if it doesn't work?"

There was no need to elaborate; both were all-too-aware  
of why they'd become intimate in the first place.

"It will, Bro," Jason soothed. "You know Zordon and Billy  
were pretty confident about that."

"Then why am I still like this?" the spell-changed young  
man asked plaintively, turning despondent brown eyes on his companion.  
"Ever since we came here, we've been practically fucking our brains out,  
and nothing has happened! Nothing!!"

His lover squeezed the slim shoulders reassuringly.

"Relax, Tommy  maybe it'll just take a little more time.  
Trust us, will you?"

"I do, but ... how much exactly is _a little_ time?  
A week? A month?" To that, Jason had no ready answer. "It's not that I'm  
not grateful for what you're doing for me; I am, but ..."

"Hey, it's not as if it's exactly a chore," Jason grinned,  
trying to lighten the mood. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm having a ball."

"Two, to be exact," Tommy pouted, unsuccessfully attempting  
to hide his own reluctant grin. "Like I used to have. I want mine back,  
Jase!" he added, serious once more.

"You'll get them, I'm sure. Meanwhile, I'll do everything  
I can to help you."

"You already have, more than I thought you could," the  
White Ranger retorted. In a move that was completely instinctive, he slipped  
both arms around the broad back and rested his forehead in the crook of  
Jason's neck. It seemed only right that the strong arms closed around himself  
and Jason rested his cheek on the long brown locks, hugging his friend  
warmly.

"Would you prefer a more painful cure?"

"No, of course not," Tommy sighed, relaxing into the embrace.  
A tiny part of his mind wondered why this was so easy, but he paid no attention.  
"I just wish I _knew_ how long it's going to take.  Have I ever said  
thankyou?" he wondered, lifting serious eyes to the tanned face so close  
to his own.

"I don't remember, but it doesn't matter if you haven't,"  
the Red Ranger soothed. "You know I'll be there for you, Tommy  always.  
Whatever you need and if it's in my power to give, you'll have it. I promise."

"I know. Still, let me say this just once  thank you,  
Jase. I don't think I could have gone through this with anyone else."

"You're welcome," Jason replied gently. Both teens smiled  
at each other, and then it was the most natural thing in the universe that  
their lips should meet and fuse together in a kiss that was very long and  
very, very sweet ... just two _people_ expressing their feelings for  
each other. They separated just when they reached the edge of burgeoning  
desire; neither teenager wanted this moment of pure affection to change  
into something else. Slightly out of breath, they took a step backwards,  
both literally and figuratively.

"Later?" Jason asked huskily, loathe to let go just yet.  
He bent forward and brushed his mouth once more across the kiss-swollen  
lips in a teasing caress that suggested more to come.

"Later," Tommy acquiesced, touching his friend's cheek  
gently. His smile and the sparkle in his eyes made their own promises.

"Then let's finish packing up," the burly teen sighed  
comically. Reluctantly releasing his friend, he surveyed their strewn-about  
belongings. "I thought we're supposed to have _less_ stuff now that  
most of the food is gone; where the hell does all _that_ come from?"

"And where is it supposed to go?" the other added. "I  
know we had it all in our backpacks, but it completely beats me how we're  
going to fit everything _and_ the tent and mattress ..."

"Well, Mom was rather careful how and where she packed  
my things," Jason admitted sheepishly. Tommy snickered. "Come on  you're  
not gonna tell me it was _you_ who rolled and folded all your clothes?"

"Um, no," Tommy blushed slightly. "I mean, I did pack  
my own clothes myself before, but this ..." he indicated the feminine garments  
he'd been compelled to wear these past days. "Trini and Kim helped, since  
they were the ones getting 'em for me," came the embarrassed confession.

"I knew it!" the Red Ranger crowed, elbowing his best  
friend. Tommy shoved him away playfully. Soon, the two were roughhousing  
like always for a few, spirited minutes, until Jason ended the bout by  
tickling Tommy into laughing submission. "But, come on; let's get at this  
methodically. Everything was in our backpacks on the way up here; there  
_has  
_to  
be a way to get it back in, too. We just have to find it."

"Right. Can't let it be said we can't even pack by ourselves."

Together, they started to sort through their belongings,  
separating utensils and laundry and other sundry items. Idly Jason tossed  
a chartreuse pair of panties at Tommy, who caught it with a scowl; the  
lace edging the legs had irritated him mightily when he'd worn them and  
he remembered wondering how on Earth Mrs Taylor could stand the scratching  
near so sensitive a part of her anatomy. Not bothering to hide his smirk,  
Jason scooped up two of his balled-up red t-shirts, trying to fold them  
into as small a bundle as possible.

"Tommy?"

"Hmm?"

"You think folding and rolling things, like my Mom and  
the girls did, might help?"

"It's worth a try."

***

Night fell, and Jason and Tommy had indeed succeeded in  
putting everything away but what they needed for the night and the next  
morning. They'd earlier caught a couple of fish in 'their' pond to augment  
their depleted food supplies and were watching the flames of their small  
cooking fire die down one by one. When only softly-glowing embers remained,  
their eyes met and held under the starlight.

"Shall we give it one more try?" Jason asked quietly,  
holding out his hand towards his best friend.

Tommy placed his slender fingers into the warm palm without  
hesitation. "Maybe even two or three," he smiled, mellowed by the camaraderie  
he had shared with his teammate.

"Three?" the dark-haired young man laughed gently. "You  
have a lot of faith in my stamina!"

"In you and in Alpha's injections, yes," Tommy said softly,  
gazing deeply into the midnight eyes. "Besides, we haven't done anything  
today."

"Not since we got up, in any case," Jason agreed, dousing  
the last glowing log with a cupful of water. "But, I think I could be persuaded  
..." The deep voice rumbled sensually, barely audible over the nightly  
sounds of the forest.

"Oh? How?" Tommy's lighter voice was a seductive whisper.

"Can't you think of anything?"

"Hmmm ... how about this?" the White Ranger pretended  
to think, then sidled up to his larger friend, slipping both arms around  
the strong neck and dusting several feather-light kisses over the tanned  
face, ending with a playful lick across the firm lips.

"You're definitely on the right way," Jason murmured,  
pulling Tommy close. They kissed deeply, letting their tongues duel until  
they were both out of breath and moaning with anticipation. Since they  
had a lot more room outside than in their tent, they undressed each other  
languidly, caressing each newly-bared inch of warm skin with hands and  
lips until they were shivering with more than just the nighttime chill  
in the air. It was a mutual decision to slip inside the red-and-green tent,  
where they stretched out next to each other on their sleeping bags. Jason  
reached over into the far corner and switched on a lamp they'd brought  
but seldom used. The batteries were already low, and the small dome filled  
with muted yellowish light, just enough so Jason could see the stiff peaks  
crowning Tommy's breasts, begging to be fondled, and Tommy was able to  
admire the silky steel of Jason's erection, lying hard and ready against  
his washboard stomach. He touched the pulsing length with a questing finger.

"You're bigger than I am," he murmured.

"Yeah?" Jason traced teasing circles around the quivering  
mounds, coming closer to the oh-so-kissable nipples, but not yet touching  
them. He hissed and shuddered pleasurably as Tommy used his thumb and forefinger  
to form a ring around his glans. The fingertips were barely touching when

Tommy twisted his hand carefully. "In what way?"

"Mmm hmm. I'd say I'm just as long but not quite as thick  
as you."

"We'll have to compare once you're back to normal," Jason  
muttered, only half-serious. He didn't notice Tommy's wide-eyed surprise  
at the suggestion since the temptation of those brown kernels of flesh  
was becoming irresistible, and he lowered his head to draw first one, then  
the other into his mouth, suckling them until Tommy arched into him in  
mute supplication. Words became superfluous and everything else was forgotten  
as the two Rangers lost themselves in increasingly heated exploration,  
until the only sounds were their ecstatic sighs and whispered encouragements.  
Jason slid into Tommy easily, rocking gently inside the warm sheath, leading  
both to a shared explosion into bliss.

Afterwards, they held each other close until the last  
tremors faded from their limbs, exchanging more kisses and bolder caresses  
until their bodies were straining for fulfillment once more. Tommy spread  
his slender thighs eagerly when the warm, wet mouth of his lover moved  
from his heaving breasts down his belly to his aching sex. The first teasing  
lick along the moist slit made him throw back his head in ecstasy, and  
he pressed the dark head deep into his pussy once Jason found the hidden  
kernel and latched onto it with gentle lips, a demanding tongue and careful  
teeth. Feeling the tide of lust rise higher, Tommy thought hazily that  
nothing could _ever _feel better like this, when his best friend proved  
him wrong by inserting first one, then two blunt fingers into the spasming  
channel.

"Ooooohhhhh," he moaned loudly, only to nearly scream  
in frustration when Jason lifted his head. "Don't stop now," he pleaded  
desperately.

"Don't worry, I won't," came the panted reply. "I just  
need to catch my breath a little." The dark eyes were sparkling brilliantly,  
hot gusts of air teasing Tommy's exposed clit. A playful lick down towards  
the finger-filled opening caused another needy moan.

"Jaaase ...!"

"Right here," Jason whispered, bending once again to his  
delicious feast. He drank of the free-flowing juices until the tangy taste  
seemed to flood his whole being, pumping his fingers in and out of the  
tight canal. Tommy went wild under his demanding mouth, writhing sensuously  
to prolong the exquisite torture. As was probably inevitable, a particularly  
intense gyration caused Jason's fingers to slip free of the wet hole, and  
Tommy whimpered with need. Grinning wickedly into the soft folds he was  
tonguing so avidly, Jason didn't re-insert his digits right away; instead,  
he started to dance up and down the hot cleft, tickling and teasing and  
driving his partner nearly mad with lust. He lifted his eyes up, letting  
them sweep across the smooth, quivering belly and saw that Tommy had already  
started to knead his own breasts, plucking at the stiff knoblets in rhythm  
with his own fluttering tongue. It was time to bring his lover off, and  
he knew just the way to do it.

The Red Ranger sought out the throbbing pleasure pearl  
once more, clamping his lips around the sensitive tissue and started to  
suck in a steady cadence. Simultaneously, his left hand lifted the smooth  
ass just a little, parting the rounded cheeks, and the fingers of his right  
hand dived deeply into the needy pussy. Before Tommy could react, he withdrew  
again, trailing moisture down the slick crack until he met that other entrance  
to the trembling body. There was no time to think; the strong muscle guarding  
this last mystery was clenching spasmodically, and as soon as it relaxed  
momentarily, Jason thrust a finger inside.

Time seemed to stand still as Tommy felt the intruder  
open his ass. It was strange, being penetrated _there_, but there  
was no pain, just a sense of stretching, of wanting to expel the digit  
and yet ... deep down, in his innermost recesses, there was that which  
desired to draw more and more of Jason inside. Torn with indecision, Tommy  
groaned. He was still trying to decide what to think, what to do, when  
the pleasure from his lover's mouth on his clit sent a fresh rush of desire  
throughout his body. The resultant quiver allowed Jason to delve even deeper,  
and the sensation was overwhelming. When he started to pump his finger  
in and out of the so-tight hole, shockwaves radiated outwards, meeting  
and merging with the electrical currents flowing from Jason's tongue to  
Tommy's clitoris. It was too much.

Abandoning himself to his body's demands, Tommy relaxed  
and let Jason have his way. Senses spinning, he felt a second, then a third  
finger enter his ass, fucking him as deeply as the thick cock had fucked  
his snatch before, and all else fled before the frantic run towards orgasm.

Jason was getting lightheaded with the need to breathe,  
but he knew it would be cruel to stop now, even for the few seconds it  
would take. Closing his eyes, concentrating only on his partner, he licked  
harder, faster, thrust his hand more deeply into the tight ass and joined  
inwardly in Tommy's cry of release as the slender body stiffened in the  
throes of a devastating climax. Only when the quivering limbs were still  
at last did he lift his mouth from the silken folds, licking up the last  
of his lover's nectar when he moved to lie beside his friend. He withdrew  
gently from the hot channel, wiping hand and face on a handy tee, and gathered  
his exhausted teammate against his broad, sweat-slick chest. Jason was  
rock-hard himself, but he could wait a little until Tommy had recovered;  
he wanted that talented mouth on his prick again!

"Uuummm," Tommy purred when he had breath enough to speak.  
Reaching up and kissing Jason deeply, he looked at his best friend with  
slumberous brown eyes. "That was ... wow."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Jason murmured back, glossing his  
hands over the smooth back, down to the firm butt and up and over to the  
soft globes. The brown nipples were still hard, although not quite as much  
as before, showing the young man that his Bro might not be _completely_  
sated.

"How could I not? You were driving me up the wall! Whatever  
made you do that?"

"What? This?" Teasingly, Jason slid a finger into the  
cleft and tickled Tommy's hind opening.

"Uh huh .... oohhhh!" Tommy moaned and wiggled under the  
caress. "That's ... aaahh!" An impudent fingertip once more thrust inside  
the hot muscle, which gave way eagerly. "Will you do me like that again?  
Please?" he asked coyly, brushing his own hand across a sculpted pectoral  
muscle, twisting the hardening nipple in a way he knew Jason liked.

"If you want me to," Jason promised, stretching sinuously  
under the sexy assault. "First, though ... how about I get some little  
bit of action in return?"

A cocky grin lit the chocolate eyes. Placing both hands  
on the broad shoulders, Tommy pushed Jason over onto his back and scooted  
to lie over him. His long hair fell over his shoulders, brushing the smooth  
skin as he nibbled along the beard-roughened jawline.

"Did you have anything specific in mind?" Tommy asked,  
letting his left hand wander down the washboard abs to the dark patch of  
curls surrounding the straining cock. He avoided the steel-hard shaft and  
instead scooped up the twin globes shifting in their crinkly sac, rolling  
them between his fingers. Jason sighed ecstatically and spread his thighs  
to give better access.

"Mmm ... I've wanted to feel that awesome mouth of yours  
on my dick all day," he confessed over another heartfelt moan when Tommy  
bit gently into his earlobe. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Not at all. Lie back, and enjoy." Tommy sat up and prepared  
to kiss his way down the muscular body.

"Wasn't that _'lie back, close your eyes and think of  
England'_?" Jason quipped, dark eyes sparkling with mirth and arousal.  
He thoroughly enjoyed baiting his friend, knowing Tommy would retaliate  
by an even more intense onslaught  if only to shut him up. It worked like  
a charm.

"Whatever. You can think of fucking Rita, for all I care."  
Tommy covered the smirking lips with his own, forestalling further comments.  
When he let up from the intense tongue duel, Jason was panting hard. He  
grasped Tommy's head between his hands and tried to push him down towards  
his hips, which were already humping against the so-soft belly. Jason felt  
he was about ready to explode.

"Suck me, Tommy. Take my cock into your mouth and make  
me come," he begged.

"You sure? You really want me to give you a blowjob? Or  
should I wait until you've got all the smartass remarks out of your system?"  
Tommy wasn't above some baiting of his own  never mind that his mouth  
was nearly watering at the thought of swallowing that impressive length  
as deeply as he could.

"Now who's being a smartass?" Jason grumbled, but he was  
smiling when he drew his friend into another hot, intense kiss. "I want  
your mouth on me. Bad," he whispered.

Tommy flashed him another grin, then, straddling the strong  
thighs, bent over the tanned flesh without a word. Paying loving attention  
to the sensitive nipples, he worked his way down the rippling abs to the  
throbbing shaft excruciatingly slowly, alternating brief, teasing licks  
with broad swipes of his tongue. Jason was moaning almost continually by  
the time he reached his goal, and the needy sounds mingled with the soft  
sucking and slurping as Tommy went down on his lover. It didn't take much;  
although he tried to make it last, Jason had been too excited to hold back  
his climax overly long. Still, this time Tommy managed to ease down nearly  
all of the considerable length into his throat, playing his tongue over  
whatever else he could reach, when the thick cock swelled even more. It  
pulsed once, twice, then a hot gush of salty cream spurted into the willing  
mouth. Tommy swallowed what he could, licked up what spilled over and only  
when the frantic heartbeat he could feel under his fingertips slowed down  
did he release the softening flesh from between his lips. Scrambling upwards,  
he settled himself comfortably on a smooth, muscular shoulder.

"How was that?" he asked cheekily when the midnight eyes  
turned towards him.

"Awesome. Even better than yesterday," Jason told him,  
kissing his friend. The salty taste of his ejaculation lingering in the  
sensuous mouth was an exciting novelty, and it made his pulse quicken.  
Again.

"Well, I _do_ have more practice now," Tommy said  
demurely, but he felt a pleased glow at the praise spread through him.

"You can put in some more later," Jason replied with an  
innocent expression. "You, ah, mentioned wanting a third time earlier?"

"What makes you think I'm going to blow you again?" his  
lover demanded to know. Jason grinned, pinched the firm butt playfully  
and laughed outright at the outraged yelp _that_ evoked.

"I'm not Superman. Alpha's injection or not, I may need  
a little help to get it up once again. And I can't imagine a better way  
...."

"Oh, okay." Tommy agreed somewhat off-handedly. "I'll  
do it ... if you'll eat me, too?" He looked sideways at his best friend,  
eyes half-shielded by long lashes, trying not to show his eagerness. He  
couldn't fool Jason, however.

"It's a deal," the Red Ranger leered teasingly. "Nothing  
like a late-night snack ..." chuckling, he dodged the pillow Tommy threw  
at him.

***

"TOMMY!!!"

With a cry she barely managed to muffle, Kimberly convulsed  
around her own furiously-working fingers. Riding out the waves of her climax,  
she finally relaxed on her pink-sheeted bed. It took her several minutes  
to regain enough strength to pad over to her bathroom and wipe down her  
sweat-slick body with a cool washcloth.

"This has _got_ to stop," she muttered to herself  
as she slipped into a fresh nightie. "I've been fantasizing about Tommy  
before, but _never_ this much, or to this extent. Does that mean I  
want to sleep with him?

"Yes," she answered her own question as the covers settled  
over her. _*As soon as he's back  and back to normal  I'll take the  
first real opportunity and we're going to make love! I know he wants it,  
too ... and that's the best way to make him forget he's ever been with  
Jason,*_ was her last thought before she succumbed to only partially-sated  
slumber, to dream of her tall, long-haired boyfriend locked alternately  
in an embrace with her or with his smooth-chested best friend.

Kimberly never knew that she was squirming in her sleep  
in an unconscious imitation of making love, nor that there was someone  
far above the Earth, watching her every move with greedy eyes hidden behind  
a silver visor.

***

"I don't think so, Pink Ranger," Lord Zedd hissed. "Even  
now, Finster is working on a monster that will not attack the Rangers,  
as usual, but capture you and bring you to me."

The Evil Ruler turned away from his balcony and sat on  
his basalt throne. He detested having to use the dog-like creature, preferring  
to animate appropriate objects himself, but for the life of him, he couldn't  
find anything suitable this time. Hence, Finster was in charge of making  
a new menace to fit the double purpose.

"Once I have you in my power tomorrow, you will either  
consent to become my Queen, or I will make you into my pleasure slave.  
Either way, you will soon be _begging_ for my touch  and what a sweet  
victory _that_ is going to be!"

A sinister laugh filled the echoing throne chamber of  
the Moon Citadel.

"Let Jason enjoy his mercy fuck with Tommy as long as  
he can; it won't do them any good, anyway  once you are mine, Kimberly,  
the Rangers _will _go down!"

***

"Oh, you're good at this," Tommy sighed as Jason lapped  
his way from one straining, throbbing nipple to the other. The two had  
rested in each other's arms, enjoying the quiet afterglow until their young,  
healthy bodies had recuperated. Right now, they were both simmering on  
the edge of arousal once more, coaxing forth reactions with playful caresses  
of lips and hands, moving freely and uninhibitedly to dive one last time  
into desire.

"I know," Jason boasted, pausing a moment in his attentions  
to the succulent mounds. Teasing grin met outraged stare, then the two  
teens snickered simultaneously. Jason nuzzled a soft/firm globe, licking  
playfully around the underside. "I hope you're taking notes for Kim."

"You think she'll like this, too?" The slim body arched  
up, to entice the warm mouth back onto the pebbled tips. Jason obliged  
happily.

"No reason why she shouldn't. Haven't you been doing to  
me what you like to feel on yourself?" the young man commented once his  
moth was free again, parting the slender thighs with sure hands while delicate  
fingertips danced along his aching cock. "Ooohhh, yeah, do that some more!"

Tommy repeated the gentle pumping motion up and down the  
thick shaft he held loosely as he thought his lover's remark over. "I guess  
so," he finally admitted. "Kim and I never went quite _this _far,  
though." Sharing confidences and intimate details of what little love life  
they'd had 'before' had become natural. "Are you saying it's just a question  
of anatomy?"

"Mostly; with individual preferences, I'd say," Jason  
confirmed. "I dunno how Kim would react, but I do know that _you_  
like _this_!" Without warning, he bit into a throbbing nipple and  
thrust two fingers into the sopping-wet channel. Tommy cried out with pleasure  
and writhed in his friend's arms, vacillating back and forth between the  
two pleasure points. He was out of breath when the merciless stimulation  
let off a little after several minutes.

"You devil," he panted. "Just you wait!"

Quick as lightning, he extricated himself from Jason's  
arms, turned around and swallowed the pre-come-oozing shaft as deeply as  
he could in one continuous motion. Bobbing his head up and down frantically,  
he was practically fucking his mouth with Jason's cock, moaning around  
his mouthful of hot male flesh as his lover lifted his hips into position  
for a sixty-nine. Jason's agile tongue on his clit was sending arrows of  
arousal all through the undulating body above him, and Tommy nearly climaxed  
there and then when strong fingers entered both of his openings, gliding  
in and out in perfect sync with his own sucking. However, he needed something  
bigger to fill him.

"Not like this," Tommy gasped, tearing himself reluctantly  
away from the weeping cock. "I need you in me!"

"Yes," Jason growled, desperately aroused once more despite  
his two earlier orgasms. He, too, wanted to sink his prick into a tighter,  
wetter orifice than even Tommy's glorious mouth. Rolling out from under  
the slim body, he scrambled onto his knees behind his friend. Tommy was  
still on all fours from their mutual blowjob, and in a perfect position  
to be taken hard and fast  just the way Jason wanted to. He grasped the  
round hips firmly, scooted as close as he could and by touch alone guided  
his throbbing pole to the eager hole.

Both caught their breaths as the purplish cockhead entered  
the hot channel, then sighed ecstatically when Jason slid home in one long,  
smooth stroke. At first, Tommy had been surprised and a little shocked  
that his friend would mount him from behind; he liked seeing the myriad  
expressions of lust and affection on Jason's face when they were joined.  
However, whatever misgivings he might have had soon melted under the onslaught  
of sensation. Jason had never delved so deep, or hit the walls of his vagina  
at exactly this angle, bringing Tommy to unexpected new heights. Even though  
it seemed hardly possible, his pleasure increased when the large hands  
glided up his body to heft his swaying globes, kneading them, then capturing  
his aching nipples between thumb and forefinger, pinching them in counterpoint  
to the hard thrusts.

Jason had swiftly changed his mind about the way he was  
taking Tommy. Riding him like this was too delicious, too exhilarating  
to rush it, and so he took the opportunity presenting itself to thoroughly  
fuck Tommy like this, relishing the freedom the position brought to caress  
other parts of that sexy body. He abandoned the bouncing breasts after  
a while, instead letting one hand dip between the wet folds clinging so  
tightly to his pistoning rod. He sought and found the clit, pinching it  
in time with his thrusts, until he felt the walls surrounding his dick  
contract in preparation for orgasm.

He stopped all movement. Buried to the root of his seven-inch  
length inside his best friend's pussy, Jason gasped for air. He wasn't  
ready to come quite yet; his balls were not ready to give up their load  
of semen, and if at all possible, he wanted them to reach the pinnacle  
together. Jason ran his hands comfortingly up and down the smooth back,  
feeling the slick skin quiver under his fingertips.

"Don't stop now," Tommy moaned, waiting for the deep,  
delicious thrusts to resume. He bucked backwards, but Jason wouldn't cooperate,  
holding himself in check ... albeit it took all of his control.

Jason tried to get his fevered mind to think, even as  
he murmured soothingly to his friend, trying to calm both of them down  
to a less-intense level of arousal. There was something Tommy had said  
before, something he'd hardly dared fantasize about, something they _hadn't_  
tried ... Absently, his hands came to rest on the pale asscheeks, glossing  
over the perfect roundness, tickling along the crack. Tommy inhaled sharply,  
and he clenched his inner muscles around the cock filling him. Curious  
about the reaction, Jason parted the firm cheeks and looked closer. Further  
down, he could see a quarter-inch of glistening skin where his cock disappeared  
inside Tommy's sex. The view nearly drove him over the edge, and he inhaled  
deeply in order to quiet his boiling blood. But, directly above that, there  
was another opening, a rosy-brown puckered hole he'd breached earlier with  
his fingers.

_*Is that it? Does Tommy want me to touch him **there**?*_

He didn't dare ask out loud, but let his forefinger circle  
once around the tight muscle.

"Aaaahhhhh!!!"

Tommy's excited exclamation was all the answer Jason needed.  
His heartbeat sped up as he moistened his finger between the juicing folds,  
then placed it once more against the clenched orifice. Using very gentle  
pressure, he cautiously eased his fingertip inside, to Tommy's needy moans  
and his own delight as he could feel his own hard length throb behind a  
thin membrane of skin. Jason had to exert all of his willpower not to just  
ram his fingers into Tommy's ass; as it was, every little shiver or the  
most minimal shift in position made both teens nearly sob with the excruciating  
pleasure they caused.

"I need to move!" Jason wasn't sure if he'd groaned out  
loud, but Tommy heard him.

"Yessssss," he hissed sharply. "Fuck me!"

"Right." Clenching his teeth, Jason withdrew his finger  
from Tommy's anus and stroked once into the wet snatch. It was heaven ...  
and it wasn't enough. He thrust once more. Again. And again. Tommy rocked  
against him, meeting him so that he penetrated as deeply as possible, but  
for some reason, it did nothing to soothe the fire raging in his veins.  
Staring down at their joining, watching his cock glide in and out of the  
pink flesh, Jason became aware once more of the darker, tighter orifice  
directly above. Suddenly, he knew what he wanted. Pausing on the backstroke,  
leaving only the tip of his penis inside his lover's sex, he bent forward  
and placed his mouth next to a shell-shaped ear.

"I want your ass."

The hot whisper sent chills up and down Tommy's spine.  
He was desperate for release; his body screamed at him to have Jason continue,  
but his mind balked at giving up that last bit of himself that _hadn't_  
been possessed by Jason.

"Let me fuck your ass, Tommy," Jason cajoled. He didn't  
want to push his friend into something he didn't want to give, but neither  
was he above a little wheedling. "It'll be good for you  as good as for  
me. Your hole is so tight; I can feel it when I have my fingers inside  
you. You know you enjoyed it when I had my hand up your ass before. Remember?"

The sexy murmur and the graphic words made Tommy shiver  
and relent slightly. He relaxed marginally, not quite as reluctant as his  
mind indeed played back images and sensations of their earlier lovemaking.  
Could he let Jason do this?

"I'm going to fill you so completely, you'll forget everything  
but my cock in your ass, riding you long and slow," the deep voice promised,  
coming from behind out of the semi-darkness. Somehow, even though they  
were plastered together chest to back, it had a disembodied quality, almost  
like a phantom lover, and it was an incredibly exciting sensation. Tommy  
moaned, caught on the brink as he was. The cockhead he was still holding  
between his pussy lips twisted slightly as Jason moved behind him. It did  
nothing more than open a great big emptiness in his lower body. The White  
Ranger knew, if he said 'no' Jason would just start fucking him until they  
both came, but suddenly, a part of him that he hadn't known he'd had spoke  
up in the depths of his mind.

_*Say yes. You know you want it  want **him**. This  
is maybe your one, your **only** chance to be with Jason as TOMMY; your  
ass is the same, whether male or female. It's the one thing you can share,  
besides your mouth, where it doesn't matter if you're changed or not.*_

Tommy knew the voice was right; he didn't know where it  
came from, but he was suddenly convinced that it was the thing to do. His  
hungry-for-release body agreed enthusiastically. The matter was clinched  
when Jason once more teased his anus with his fingers and whispered "Please,  
Tommy!" into his ear.

"Yes."

Jason drew a deep, shuddering breath as he heard the soft  
surrender. The silky body under him began to tremble, though, and he gathered  
his friend close, drawing him upright on his lap, but still impaled on  
his hard organ. Running soothing hands up and down the perspiration-moist,  
silky skin, he pressed a line of kisses across one smooth, slender shoulder.

"You won't regret this," he vowed huskily. "I'm going  
to make it good for both of us."

His only answer was a faint sigh, but Tommy didn't resist  
when Jason sought out his pleasure points, bringing him slowly but surely  
back to that fever pitch of desire. Only when Tommy started to squirm impatiently  
on his throbbing perch, rocking his hips up and down, did Jason ease him  
back into his former position. Enough of Tommy's natural lubrication coated  
his penis and had run into the sensitive cleft, easing his way, so that  
Jason saw no need for artificial help if he was careful. He withdrew reluctantly  
from the clinging folds, both teens moaning with the sudden feeling of  
bereftment.

"I'll be right back, you'll see," Jason whispered. "I'll  
just have to prepare you a little first."

So saying, he placed a teasing kiss on the smooth cheeks  
on both sides of Tommy's sphincter. There was a brief impulse to lick at  
the clenching hole, but this was where Jason's adventurousness ended. For  
now. Instead, he dipped once more between the wet folds below, briefly  
diddling the pulsing little pearl, before inserting first one, then two  
fingers into the tight muscle. As before, there was a second or two when  
it seemed Tommy's body would expel him, but soon the hot channel relaxed.  
Jason started to move his hand back and forth, finger-fucking the quivering  
ass, loosening Tommy up as much as he was able and finding it curiously  
exciting to see his digits disappear almost completely in the darkness  
of his friend's body.

All too soon, his own momentarily neglected anatomy began  
to clamor for attention, and the young man brought himself up to the upturned  
cheeks. He scratched lightly across the round glutes, leaving faint pink  
trails on the white flesh and calling forth another delicious shiver that  
travelled outward to engulf Tommy's whole body.

"Ready?" Jason asked, alerting his lover to his intention  
as he brushed his leaking cockhead down Tommy's crack.

"I ... I think so," Tommy groaned, barely capable of coherent  
thought. "Do it, Jase  now!"

"Okay ..." Carefully, slowly, Jason pressed himself against  
the puckered opening. There was a moment's resistance, then _something_  
gave, and with a surprised "OH!!!" Jason felt and saw his cockhead disappear  
in his lover's ass. He never heard the slight hiss of pain Tommy couldn't  
suppress at finding himself suddenly stretched and filled to the limit;  
instead, every instinct screamed at him to sink himself lower into the  
incredible heat and tightness. Oblivious to the tensed muscles, he pushed  
his pelvis inexorably forward in small jerks, sinking deeper and deeper  
into Tommy's bowels until his thighs met the backs of Tommy's trembling  
legs and his balls rested against the underside of the upturned ass. The  
deathgrip around the base of his cock felt like a vise.

"I'm in, Tommy," Jason whispered hoarsely, incredulously.  
"My cock is all the way in your ass!"

The thought alone was mind-blowing; reality was almost  
more than both could handle.

"I know," the long-haired teen moaned back, caught between  
unexpected pain and pleasure. His sphincter muscle hurt from being forced  
open by Jason's girth; it was so different from having two, or even three  
fingers inside! However, the pulsing, throbbing length filling him seemed  
to send concentric waves of pure pleasure into all parts of his body, radiating  
heat and shafts of indescribable sensation all through him. Tommy felt  
his nipples contract to stone hardness, his breasts ached and his mouth  
went dry. Then, unable to stand it any longer, Jason withdrew almost all  
the way, and Tommy sobbed once. The first thrust back in nearly overwhelmed  
him with a fresh surge of pain/delight ... and suddenly, all pain was gone  
and only pleasure remained.

Jason was nearly delirious with lust, forcing himself  
to go slow with everything he had to avoid injuring his best friend, when  
all of a sudden the tightly-coiled muscles under his hands relaxed, became  
fluid, smooth, pliant, and the back-and-forth glide of his aching dick  
inside the hottest, tightest place he'd ever imagined turned into sheer  
bliss. There was no more resistance, no more effort ... just this melting-together  
of their bodies that drowned out everything but their mutual delight.

The two teens rocked together in a rhythm as old as time  
itself; giving and taking freely until it didn't matter who was inside  
whom, who was submitting or conquering. They were unaware of their moans  
and sighs crescendoing to animalistic cries, didn't hear the wet slap-slap  
of flesh on flesh or noticed that they nearly managed to tear down their  
tent when they came close to dislodging one of the poles. Jason and Tommy  
only knew that their shared passion was taking them places they'd never  
been before, sent them to unimaginable heights that were scary and yet  
safe, because they were scaling them _together_ ... and together they  
fell off the highest summit, locked into an embrace of friendship, trust  
and love that was their safety net and caught them both just before they  
crashed down, burning and cooling simultaneously when both climaxed one  
after the other, extinguishing the flames of their lust when gushes of  
Jason's seed mixed with a new flood of Tommy's juices.

***

Tommy opened sated, exhausted eyes to find himself held  
securely against Jason's broad chest. He had no recollection of when or  
how his lover had withdrawn from his body, but it didn't matter; what counted  
was the awed look in the midnight pools. Jason kissed the swollen lips  
lovingly.

"Thank you," he whispered, still overcome by what they'd  
shared.

"You're welcome," Tommy mumbled back, yawning. He felt  
the chuckle Jason couldn't suppress reverberate in the sleek muscles under  
his cheek.

"Go to sleep," the deep voice rumbled amusedly, and Tommy  
did just that, too drained and comfortable to argue; he closed his eyes  
and snuggled contentedly into the warm embrace. Within seconds, he was  
breathing deeply and evenly, lying loosely relaxed in the strong arms.  
Jason smiled to himself. His own eyelids were growing heavy, and he didn't  
fight the pleasant lassitude stealing over him in the wake of the most  
intense orgasm he'd ever experienced. His lips brushed the smooth forehead  
a last time, then he, too, entered the land of dreams.

***

Hours later, just before dawn was stealing over the mountaintops,  
Jason was awakened from his slumber by a sharp kick against his shin.

"Wha-what?" he muttered sleepily, unwilling to rouse just  
yet. He'd been having an awesome dream of himself and a lithe redhead,  
involving a hot tub and a bowl of chilled strawberries-and-cream, and was  
understandably reluctant to let go. However, an elbow jarring his ribs  
painfully tore the fantasy apart in an instant. Jerking up into a sitting  
position, the Red Ranger forced his eyes open.

"Tommy, are you mad? What do you think you're doing?"  
he growled angrily, feeling his bedmate thrash around wildly on their shared  
mattress. Still only half-awake, he reached for a naked shoulder, to shake  
some sense into his oblivious, softly moaning friend. "Stop hitting me;  
it hurts!"

His hand made contact with the sweat-soaked skin. To his  
horror, Jason felt the bones in his grip give and shift.

"Tommy?!? What's the matter?"

Fully alert now, Jason registered that the muted groaning  
grew louder. Anxiously, the young man scrambled for his backpack and a  
strong flashlight; the batteries of their camping lamp had given out at  
some point during their heated lovemaking. His guts were clenching into  
hard knots as he found the torch; flicking it on, he then directed the  
bright beam onto Tommy.

"Oh shit!"

The exclamation was both horrified and awed. Because it  
was truly a strange sight that was right before the Ranger's eyes  Tommy  
was twisting and whimpering in his sleep, his naked, sweat-slick limbs  
tangled in the sleeping bag as he unconsciously fought the changes happening  
in his body. Jason watched, fascinated, as Tommy's form seemed to blur,  
stretch, deform and realign itself in some kind of bizarre metamorphosis.

_*I think this is how it'd look if we could morph in  
slow motion,*_ Jason thought. _*Sometimes it **does** feel as if  
my body transforms itself from Red Dragon into Warrior Mode ...*_

A louder moan, almost a shout, distracted the young man  
from his musings. He let the circle of light wander over his best friend,  
whose writhing seemed to diminish gradually. The face and hair didn't change  
much, but then Tommy hadn't looked all _that_ different as a girl.  
But the rest of him ... the pain obviously seemed to be related to his  
bones, judging from the way he stretched and moved; Jason thought it made  
sense, since the White Ranger had been both taller and broader in his original  
form. That particular phase of his change seemed almost over. Sighing in  
his sleep, Tommy rolled onto his back, to lie somewhat restlessly, but  
much more quietly than before.

Jason guided his flashlight lower.With a pang  
of acute regret, he saw that the luscious mounds were flattening out, disappearing  
gradually until only the familiar, smooth-muscled chest remained. _*Damn!  
I'm gonna miss those tits!*_ He grinned ruefully to himself. _*Better  
not tell Tommy, though; he'll kill me for sure!*_

Still further south the torch went. Smirking, Jason watched  
as Tommy's hand fumbled blindly between his thighs, searching for something  
that was v-e-r-y slow in re-emerging.

"It never took _me_ that long to get it up, Bro,"  
he whispered cheekily, but he still observed, with a delighted grin for  
his best friend's sake, as the moist slit parted to let out a little round  
head which gradually increased in size, lengthening and smoothing out,  
forming a perfect erect penis on Tommy's rippled abdomen that was indeed  
a close match to Jason's own in length, if not quite in width. As soon  
as the full length was reached, the labia seemed to fuse together; there  
was an instant where Tommy's sex seemed to pulse with a life of its own,  
then all the blood gathered in the hardened cock left the veins throbbing  
under the reddened skin and flowed into the hairy mound.

The young man bucked his hips sharply upward, still fast  
asleep. A muffled cry burst from his throat, and Jason could almost _see  
_how  
the testicles rose from whichever bodily cavity they'd been hidden in to  
fill the thinning skin. He held his breath, waiting for further changes,  
but none came anymore. Tommy's transformation was complete.

The whole process had taken maybe an hour, from the moment  
a stray kick had woken Jason up to now  but who knew when it had begun?  
Saturday, with their first kiss? Or tonight, when Jason had taken his best  
friend in all possible ways? Nobody could tell, least of all the Red Ranger.  
_*Who  
cares, anyway? Tommy's back!*_

"Whoa," Jason breathed, awestruck, as he watched Tommy  
sigh deeply once more, curl up on his side and fall into exhausted sleep.  
_*We  
did it! YES!!!*_

Tommy's chest rose evenly with every inhalation, and almost  
in a daze, Jason switched off his torch and lay down next to his friend,  
looking over the relaxed form. It was Tommy as he'd always known him, tall,  
leanly muscled, handsome ... as if nothing at all had happened to him   
_and  
them _ over the past five days. However, deep inside, a nagging little  
voice raised itself, telling Jason things he didn't want to hear, wasn't  
prepared to deal with at all; he only knew that the whole experience had  
changed something indefinable between him and Tommy.

Too tired still to solve that particular puzzle, Jason  
stretched out, close but not touching, momentarily saddened that now he  
no longer could lie spoon-fashion with his teammate, the way he'd gotten  
used to lately. While he was trying to figure out exactly _why_ that  
made him sad, Jason fell asleep again, to dream once more of limbs intertwined  
... though this time not of some sexy nameless, faceless stranger, but  
of himself and his best friend.

 

 

 

 

** _Eleven_ **

Tommy woke to bright sunlight streaming into their tent,  
an errant ray tickling his nose. He sneezed.

"Bless you," Jason's voice, deep and laced with suppressed  
laughter, came from his right. Tommy opened his eyes to see his best friend  
lying next to him, dark head propped on a hand, naked chest gleaming gently  
in the morning light as if oiled. Memories of their passionate, sex-filled  
night swamped Tommy's sleep-befuddled mind, and without thinking further  
he looped an arm around the strong neck and drew Jason down into a heated  
good-morning kiss that was intended to be full of promise.

For a brief moment, the full firm lips caressed Tommy's  
own as enthusiastically as usual, but then, instead of running large hands  
over erogenous zones eager to be stimulated anew, Jason stiffened against  
his best friend  all over, not just in the place Tommy's also-awakening  
libido was most interested in. Their kiss had a rather abrupt ending.

"If I were you, I'd think twice before doing that; it  
might give people ideas about us, Bro," Jason said with forced lightness.  
The dark eyes wouldn't meet Tommy's fully.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" The White Ranger was  
confused.

"Have you looked at yourself recently? Kimberly may think  
you're the hottest thing ever to don a _gi_, but you're _not_  
exactly my type."

The flippancy hurt, in ways Tommy was not prepared to  
acknowledge, but he _did_ take Jason's suggestion and looked down  
his chest. What he saw  or rather, _didn't _see any longer  drove  
every other consideration out of his mind.

"It worked!!!"

Running curious hands all over his own body, Tommy took  
stock of the changes in his form with mounting delight. Checking out one  
particular part of his anatomy under cover of his sleeping bag, he did  
his best to ignore Jason's wicked snigger, but couldn't help the hot blush  
creeping over his skin.

"Don't worry, everything's present and accounted for,  
Bro," Jason told him, eyes dancing devilishly.

"How would you know?" Tommy challenged, refusing to back  
down. For some reason, he felt strangely reluctant to shove back the sleeping  
bag corner draped over his hips. _*This is ridiculous! I've **never**  
been shy around Jase before  well, except when I got first changed! But  
that was different ... I've never minded him seeing me naked like this  
...*_

"Because I saw how it happened."

"Y-you did?" Tommy gulped, unaccountably embarrassed.

"Uh huh. After you'd woken me up by kicking and hitting  
me," Jason informed his teammate drily, feeling some of his own uneasiness  
recede in the face of their usual banter.

"Oh ..."

"It's okay, Bro," the Red Ranger soothed his teammate.  
"You were asleep, and didn't know what was going on. You didn't hurt me."

Gratefully, Tommy sent a smile towards his best friend.  
However, he still felt the need to get away from Jason  if only for a  
little.

"Well, um, good. Hey, let's dressed and outta here!" Scrambling  
to his feet, Tommy managed to dart out of the tent without giving Jason  
more than a glimpse of his still-nude body. When the other followed more  
slowly, Tommy was already waist-deep in the shallow pool, wishing the cold  
water would subdue his unexpected reaction to the sight of his naked friend  
standing in the clearing, stretching the kinks out of his back. Failing  
that, Tommy was willing to settle for obscurement.

Jason was fighting his own reactions to seeing the water  
beading on the smooth, tanned skin as Tommy splashed his face with a double  
handful of the clear liquid. Before his body could betray him, he, too  
waded out into the small stream, cursing under his breath as the glacier-fed  
brook chilled him down from the outside in.

"Before we freeze our balls off, let's break camp and  
go back home," Jason suggested with chattering teeth after a few minutes  
of vigorous washing. He might have hated the procedure, but it had certainly  
been effective  his cock was shrunk to its smallest size, and not even  
the erotic view of Tommy's wetly-gleaming ass as he climbed out of the  
rock-lined basin was enough to make him react, he was _that _cold.

"Great idea," Tommy agreed, deliberately not looking at  
Jason, lest he be tempted to warm the chilled flesh with his hands and  
mouth like the other day. "The others must be going out of their mind with  
worry by now." _*Especially Kimberly,*_ a small portion of his mind  
reminded him of his girlfriend. Tommy blushed; ever since he'd discovered  
he had his own body back, he'd been more concerned about keeping his hands  
off his best friend rather than how the petite girl's doe eyes would light  
up with joy at his return  in more than one sense.

Wolfing down a couple of trail bars for breakfast while  
taking down their tent and stowing the last of their equipment, Jason and  
Tommy confined their conversation to the bare minimum. Finished at last,  
they surveyed the small clearing a last time before heading down the mountain  
once more. Nothing remained to remind of their presence except for the  
charred ring of stones where they'd had their campfire and the flattened  
area of grass where their tent had stood. There was no indication at all  
of the changes having taken place here, both inwardly and outwardly in  
the two visitors.

"Let's go," Tommy finally decided, not knowing what else  
to say. He wished he could talk to his best friend about what had transpired  
between them, especially since his ass smarted lightly with every movement;  
a delicious, slightly guilty reminder of last night. But, Jason was strangely  
uncommunicative, and part of Tommy was glad for the reprieve; both knew  
they would _have _to address the issue eventually if they wanted to  
remain friends. However, it could wait. A little while, at least.

Shouldering their bulging backpacks, the two Rangers turned  
and took the path away from their isolated hideout, back towards their  
homes and friends.

***

Humming to herself, Kimberly entered Angel Grove Park  
and made her way to the Rangers' favorite spot, near the lake. It was the  
last day of their unexpected school break, and Tommy was coming home! She  
skipped a few steps. After a near-sleepless night, she'd finally convinced  
herself to believe in Billy and Zordon's reassurances. Concocting a long,  
involved, dreadfully romantic fantasy about herself making love to Tommy  
on an exotic tropical island, surrounded by orchids and sweet birdsong,  
had helped her fall asleep at last, and she felt ready once more to take  
on the world. Smiling at her own whimsy, the Pink Ranger sang the first  
few lines from an old Broadway musical.

_"Oh what a beautiful morning _ never mind that  
it's afternoon already  _oh what a beautiful day; oh what a beautiful  
mo-orning  everything's going my way!"_

***

"That's what you think, Pink Ranger! Goldar, send down  
the Putties! Finster, is the monster ready?"

Lord Zedd stood at the balcony, his hidden eyes fixed  
hungrily on the pretty girl.

"In a second, Your Evilness," the little monster-maker  
called from his lab. "Just a final adjustment, a last refining touch, and  
... there he is! I give you Tentacrawl, my Lord!"

Zedd nodded approvingly as he surveyed his henchman's  
creation.

"He should do." A red beam from his staff gave temporary  
life to the monstrosity  a seven-foot-tall creature with no head, but  
a band of eyes spaced around the top of the writhing mass of tentacles  
that comprised most of its body. The leathery skin had an unhealthy yellowish-gray  
cast and was covered in rough scales. Some of the bigger tentacles served  
as legs of sorts; all the others waved in a dizzying array up and down  
and around its upper portion.

"Go down to Earth, Tentacrawl; your mission is to capture  
the Pink Ranger and bring her back to my Palace. Do not harm her, or you  
will face my wrath!"

The monster made a semblance of a bow, and disappeared  
in a puff of red-tinged smoke. Zedd took up monitoring the park again.

"Soon you'll be mine, little Kimberly," he growled, evil  
pouring off him in waves. "I wonder which fate you will choose  to become  
my Queen, or to serve my body? No matter; I'll have you in my bed, no matter  
what, come the night!"

***

"Oh, what now?!?" Abruptly torn out of her daydream, Kimberly  
cried exasperatedly as the first half-dozen Putties materialized directly  
in her path. "Doesn't Zedd ever get enough of this? Keep your hands off  
me, claybrain!" A well-placed jab with the heel of her hand to its Z-spot  
destroyed the first creature. The five remaining Putties meanwhile had  
formed a circle around the petite Human; not that numbers meant anything.  
Even unmorphed, the trained gymnast was more than a match for the mentally-challenged  
footsoldiers. The girl balanced on her left foot, right leg bent backwards  
at a right angle towards her body.

"I'm ... So ... Sick ... Of ... This!"

Every angry word was accompanied by a precise kick at  
the center of each Putty's chest, hitting directly at the big "Z". Kimberly  
had always admired the near-balletic quality of a series of snap-kicks,  
which is why she'd had Jason and Tommy coach her until she was almost as  
good at them as the two champion Martial Artists. She watched her opponents  
shatter with a satisfied look. Only slightly winded, she dusted her hands.

"I wonder if Zedd'll ever learn those mudheads are useless  
against us?"

Turning around to continue on her way, the pretty Ranger  
stopped in her tracks at the unwelcome sight greeting her.

"Ew, gross!"

~*~

_Beep-beep beep-beep beep-beep!_

Three communicators in Angel Grove went off simultaneously.

"Rangers, Kimberly is alone in the park and being attacked  
by one of Zedd's monsters! You must go and help her immediately!"

"We're on our way, Zordon!"

From various places in the city  the Library, the Youth  
Center and a back yard in a residential disctrict  beams of bright yellow,  
sparkling blue and deep black formed, shot up high to jet over the rooftops  
and descended into the park.

~*~

Up in the mountains, Jason and Tommy meanwhile had reached  
the parking lot and were driving out of the State Forest, sitting silently  
in Tommy's car, when suddenly the Red Ranger heard an all-too-familiar  
sound over the running engine. It came from the back seat.

"Pull over," he instructed Tommy tersely. Accustomed to  
Jason's command voice, Tommy killed the engine at the closest appropriate  
place without argument. He watched, mystified, as his best friend bent  
over to the bench in back, fumbling at one of the outer compartments of  
his backpack. Comprehension dawned when he plopped back into his seat,  
red-banded communicator in his hand. It was crackling faintly, emitting  
an occasional _beep-beep!_ in a familiar sequence.

"I can't get clear reception," Jason groused after a few  
seconds of vainly trying to adjust frequencies. "But I have this sudden  
feeling ...."

"... that there's trouble back home," Tommy agreed, his  
own leader's instincts, as yet less honed but equally strong as Jason's,  
kicking in. He turned on the ignition. "Good thing you brought your communicator."

"Yeah; I'm always the boy scout," Jason grinned fleetingly.  
"You better step on it, Bro. As long as communication's out, so's teleportation.  
We may have to leave the car and come back for it later as soon as we're  
in range."

"No prob. Keep trying to find out what's going on!"

Adrenaline rushed, two pairs of brown eyes locked and  
started to sparkle. Each in his own way was spoiling for a fight, anything  
really to dispel the tension between them; an attack by Zedd was the perfect  
excuse.

"You got it. Go, Tommy!"

With a loud roar, the white jeep's engine roared to life  
again. Tires squealed, but with a sure hand the Ranger leader guided his  
vehicle down the mountain road as fast as possible, to aid their friends  
in defending the world.

~*~

"Let go of me, you ... you ...!" Kimberly yelled, still  
more angry at having her perfect day disrupted than frightened. So far,  
she'd been able to evade most of the writhing tentacles trying to wrap  
themselves around her. It was difficult, given that the monster's eyeband  
gave it near 360° vision. She knew she ought to morph, to gain more  
speed and greater strength, but had been too distracted by the weaving  
mass of tentacles which were wont to lash out unexpectedly to block her  
path as soon as she thought she found an opening to escape to a safe distance.  
The arrival of three rainbow flashes a few yards off were a welcome distraction  
for the mute monster, giving Kim a moment to catch her breath.

"Hang on, Kim, we're coming!" Trini shouted at her best  
friend.

"Right .... ick!"

Sadly, Kim had let herself be distracted by the Rangers'  
entrance as well, and Tentacrawl managed to snag her around the waist with  
a thick ropy limb, pinning her left arm against her body. The monster started  
to draw closer, or drew Kim in; it was hard to tell the difference.

"Aaargh! Help, guys!"

"Of course, Kimberly," the Blue Ranger stated confidently,  
summoning his Power Lance. He stabbed at the tall monster holding his friend  
captive. A couple of tentacles veered off, towards this new threat.

"Don't worry, we'll have you out of there in a jiffy,"  
Black Ranger added, twirling his Power Axe jauntily. "Chopped squid, anyone?"

~*~

"Oh no, you don't, Power Pipsqueaks! Goldar, get yourself  
down there and keep the others away from my monster! I will NOT be deprived  
of this second chance to capture the Pink Ranger!"

"I hear and obey you, Lord Zedd!" In a flash of malevolent  
red light, the golden-armored simian teleported towards Angel Grove.

~*~

"Take this, you disgusting ..." Before Zack could complete  
his taunt, his Axe clanged noisily against a bit of serrated steel that  
hadn't been there a millisecond earlier. To his dismay, he found that Goldar  
had inserted himself between him and the monster still trying to ensnare  
Kimberly.

"Uh-oh."

"That's right, Black Ranger," the winged ape gloated,  
brandishing his sword menacingly. "You will have to go through me to stop  
Tentacrawl from doing his job!"

"And what exactly might that job be?" Trini asked cautiously,  
sending her daggers back into their subspace pockets. She could slash with  
them at the monster's limbs a little, but dared not get too close; she  
loved her Power Weapons and the deadly accuracy they had if thrown _just  
_right,  
but they were totally ineffective against a sword. And Tentacrawl's hide  
was too tough to sustain much damage from her thrusts.

"Why, to bring your Pink teammate to our Master, of course,"  
Goldar crowed. He deflected Billy's and Zack's attempts to disarm him easily;  
while both Axe and Lance had the necessary reach to be a challenge to his  
weapon, their wielders weren't. Unfortunately, both boys knew it, too.  
"Tonight, the Pink Ranger will warm Lord Zedd's bed. In the meantime, you're  
welcome to try and stop me!"

"Um, guys, I think we have a problem," Trini muttered.  
Her attempt to tear a clinging tentacle off of Kim had almost resulted  
in getting herself captured, too. Through her visor, she could see Kim  
blanch and her frightened brown eyes widen at Goldar's pronouncement. Not  
that she blamed her friend. The thought of being completely in Zedd's clutches,  
to know he had designs on more than their Powers went beyond being scary.

_*"Problem" is the understatement of the decade,*_  
Kimberly decided, struggling to free at least one of her hands. Tentacrawl  
was wrapping more and more of his limbs around her, coming dangerously  
close to immobilizing her completely. _*I can't even reach my morpher!*_

Suddenly, an early conversation among the Rangers floated  
back into her consciousness. Striving to catch the elusive memory, the  
Pink Ranger slacked in her fight. Another, stronger tentacle started to  
creep stealthily up her back towards her throat. Ignoring it for the moment,  
Kim recalled what might just be the chance she'd been waiting for.

_"I don't believe that we really **need **to stance  
and hold up our morphers," Billy had theorized, after an extended conversation  
with Zordon about the nature of their Powers of which the other newly-made  
Rangers had barely understood a third. "It is merely a means to focus our  
energies and help us to tap into the Morphin' Grid, a psychological crutch  
if you will, just like calling out loud for our energy animals. As long  
as the morphers are kept somewhere on our persons, we **should **be  
able to morph without the ritual."_

It had sounded very plausible, and Zordon had certainly  
never contradicted Billy's hypothesis. However, events had interfered before  
the discussion was concluded; hence they'd never put it to the test, finding  
a comforting security in the stylized words and gestures.

"Well, I guess there's no time like the present to find  
out if you're right, Billy," Kim muttered through gritted teeth. The darned  
tentacles were tightening all around her, and she felt herself being dragged  
across the turf towards the monster; it was only a matter of mere moments  
until it'd be too late to do _anything_. Focussing her thoughts exclusively  
onto the image of a soaring bird trailing pink fire, praying this would  
work, the young Ranger called for her Power.

_*Pterodactyl!*_

In a surge of flashing Pink Energy, her helmet and uniform  
coalesced around the struggling girl's petite form.

"Yes!" Kim exulted. The infusion of Morphin' Power had  
singed a few tentacles, causing them to relent a little and she was able  
to wiggle one arm free. She wasted no time on calling forth her Power Bow;  
with one arm, there was no way she could wield it, and it was useless as  
a weapon in close quarters, anyway. However, she _could_ reach her  
Blade Blaster. Deed followed thought, and the Pink Ranger started to slash  
and hack at the restraining tentacles with all her enhanced strength, thinking  
that using an energy blast _this _close to herself might be a BAD  
idea.

"Way to go, Kim!" Trini encouraged her from the sidelines.  
The Yellow Ranger was furious at being unable to help, but maybe now ...  
she summoned her Power Daggers again and cautiously approached Tentacrawl  
from behind, trying to gauge which of the multiple eyes were trained on  
her  or not. Zack and Billy were still doing their best to fend off Goldar,  
who seemed almost bored with the Blue and Black Rangers' efforts, he was  
batting away at their weapons so casually. Starting her own series of slash-and-run  
tactics, Trini struck where and when she could, unfortunately causing only  
minimal damage to the monster's scaly hide.A strangled cry from  
her best friend made her look up. Horrified, the Yellow Ranger jumped back.  
Kim had stopped fighting; instead, both her hands were clamped around a  
tentacle that had managed to coil around her neck, slowly but surely cutting  
off her air supply. Already, her legs were hanging limply, ensnared in  
several tangles.

"KIM! NOOO!!!"

~*~

"Static's gone; that should mean we're within range. Barely,"  
Jason reported to Tommy. "I still can't get anything beyond the general  
alert, though."

"Doesn't matter; I'm going in," Tommy declared grimly.  
All their personal problems had been forgotten as the two drove as fast  
as they dared back towards their hometown. Silently, Jason agreed; the  
prickling at the back of his neck had increased the longer it took. He  
knew, without having to ask, that Tommy felt the same.

"There's a spot you can leave the car!" the Red Ranger  
exclaimed suddenly, pointing towards a small opening among the trees. Tommy  
hit he brakes, and his jeep skidded to a screeching halt. Quickly maneuvering  
the vehicle towards the side of the narrow mountain road  it wouldn't  
do to endanger unsuspecting civilians who might run into it if left in  
danger's path  the two young men jumped out. Off duty or not, they had  
both taken their morphers along.

"Ready, Bro?" Tommy glanced at his best friend. Receiving  
a confirming nod, the new team leader called for their Powers. "It's Morphin'  
Time! Tigerzord!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Two flashes of light, one gleaming white, the other a  
brilliant scarlet, descended on the two Rangers, forming their uniforms  
around them.

"Let's go!"

"Right with you!"

Twin streams of energy rose from the mountain side and  
flashed towards Angel Grove.

~*~

"Say good-bye to your teammate, Rangers!" Goldar gloated  
as he fended off yet another ineffectual attack by the Blue Ranger. The  
boy was truly pathetic; yes, he had a few good moves, certainly potential,  
but as he was, he was no match for the master swordsman. And the Black  
Ranger ... Goldar grinned evilly, disconcerting Billy. Zack was struggling  
back to his feet, wheezing hard; he'd opened his defense too far in a sweeping  
attack, and had been unceremoniously thrown against a tree for his efforts.  
It had taken him a good two minutes to catch his breath. "I told you, come  
the morning you will bow to Zedd's new Queen  or admire his newest pleasure  
slave. Whatever," the gold-armoured alien dismissed Kim's intended fate  
with a negligent shrug. Tentacrawl was slowly, inexorably cutting off the  
Pink Ranger's air supply; he could afford to bait the Rangers a little.

Kimberly felt her senses starting to swim. She knew with  
cold certainty that if a miracle didn't happen in the last minute, this  
time there'd be no escape for her. This time, there was no failed spell  
to let her bluff her way out of her predicament. Icy terror threatened  
to overwhelm her as she fought for yet another breath.

_*NO! I won't let that slimy monster touch me! Zedd  
can't ... he **won't** have me! Or my Power Coin,*_  
she thought defiantly even as the tentacle's grip around her neck tightened  
another notch. Her gloved fingers scrabbled weakly, ineffectually at the  
literal stranglehold. _*To be with ZEDD ... ewww! Not in this lifetime!  
I only want to be with Tommy!* _The thought of her boyfriend gave her  
a last spurt of energy, but she spent it in vain. Tentacrawl's limbs were  
too numerous, too strong ... Trini's attacks from the outside too weak.  
At last, Kimberly froze, paralyzed by fear.

_*Goodbye, Tommy,*_ were her last conscious thoughts.  
_*I  
wanted to be with you so much ... why did I tell you 'no' ... Tommy ...  
love you ... Tom ... meee ...*_

Everything went dark for the Pink Ranger.

~*~

An invisible signal from the mute monster told Zedd's  
master warrior that their mission was almost accomplished. He flicked his  
sword arm, and the Blue Power Lance was jerked out of Billy's hands, to  
be flung aside.

"Our work here is done, Rangers; say farewell to little  
Kimmie!"

Before Goldar could utter another word, he was hit in  
the back by a powerful flying kick.

"Ooof!"

"I don't think so, Monkeyface," Jason said, his voice  
icy calm and menacing. He'd regained his balance quickly and was standing  
between the winged alien and the monster, brandishing his Power Sword.  
He cast a quick glance at the White Ranger.

"Can you handle Ugly, there?"

"Sure. Just keep Goldilocks off my back," Tommy snarled,  
fear and rage for Kim's sake warring within him. A quick-as-thought motion,  
and he had unbuckled Saba to hold the saber in his outstretched hand. The  
sentient weapon took in the situation with a look and the jewel-like eyes  
began to glow from within. "You ready, Saba?"

"Always, Tommy."

With a feral gleam in his eyes that transmitted itself  
even through his visor, Tommy began a flurry of swordstrokes at the creature  
ensnaring the Pink Ranger.

"Let go of Kimberly!"

~*~

"Rangers?"

The Black, Yellow and Blue teammembers gathered behind  
their first leader, weapons at the ready.

"Let's give Goldar here a taste of true teamwork, shall  
we?" Jason suggested almost casually, watching with barely-hidden disdain  
as yet another bunch of grey creatures materialized behind the golden-armored  
warrior. "Seven to four ... pretty good odds, I'd say."

"About the usual," Zack agreed, clearly out for some retaliation.  
He'd _hated_ being slammed into a tree! "Piece of cake!" He dove head-first  
into a couple of Putties, bringing them to the ground. The ensuing fight  
was very much one-sided, with Black trouncing grey quite thoroughly.

"That is not _quite_ what I'd call the situation,  
but I agree with your assessment that we should have no undue problems  
in subduing Lord Zedd's minions," Billy observed, entering the melée  
with only slightly less enthusiasm. To be handled so casually by Goldar  
had been very bad for the Blue Ranger's ego, and he needed to regain at  
least some of his self-esteem.

"Boys!" Trini sighed, but had to grin inside her helmet.  
Knowing that Jason was a far better match for Goldar than any of them except  
Tommy, she followed her teammates into the fray with Zedd's Putties, but  
keeping an eye out for both the Red and White Rangers, ready to come to  
their aid in an instant if necessary.

Jason held his Power Weapon in capable hands.

"Well, Goldar?" he jibed. "Ready to take on someone your  
own size?"

"Don't overestimate yourself, Red Ranger," the tall creature  
growled. "I nearly killed you once already! You are no match for me!"

"'Nearly killed' isn't dead, Monkeybreath. I'm still here,  
as you can see. Besides, if I remember correctly, both Tommy and I managed  
to defeat you in Human form. What does _that_ tell you about our fighting  
abilities, huh? Maybe you should ask yourself if _you're_ a match  
for either of us!"

Jason was well aware that he was looking at a vicious  
fight if he drove Goldar too far, but he needed to do _something_  
to keep his old nemesis from helping the monster. Tommy was busily hacking  
away at the tentacles holding Kim captive, but he needed time. Well, that  
was something he could give him, even if it meant needling Goldar a little  
more.

"What is it, Goldar? Squatt got your tongue?" he jeered.  
"Or are you ready to admit I'm right  that Tommy and I are better fighters  
even unmorphed than you'll ever be?"

It was enough. With an inarticulate growl of rage, the  
winged ape snatched up his sword and engaged the Red Ranger into a violent  
display of swordsmanship, forgetting everything around him but his desire  
to _finally_ pay back this Human youth who had done so much damage  
to his reputation as the greatest swordfighter the Alliance of Evil had  
ever seen.

"I will see you grovel at my feet, defeated, Jason," Goldar  
hissed menacingly. "Prepare to die!"

Jason just laughed, knowing he had Goldar. A furious enemy  
was less controlled. Besides, he had his own frustrations to work off   
only he managed to keep his head, since they did not personally concern  
this confrontation with Goldar. Just the same, he focussed on his Karate  
training and mentally tuned out the venom Goldar was spouting, about the  
things Zedd would do to Kim first and then what he himself would do to  
the Pink Ranger once his master tired of her. Jason parried the first attack  
elegantly.

"Is _that_ the best you can do, Goldie? You're getting  
worse instead of better!"

With a bellow of pure rage, Goldar ran at the Red Ranger.

~*~

"Kimberly!"

Out of the corner of his eye, the White Ranger saw his  
girlfriend fall to the ground. He would have loved to hurry to her side,  
but all of his attention was taken up in keeping the dozens of tentacles  
from snaring Kim again, besides evading those which tried to trip himself  
up.

"Don't worry, Tommy, I have her!"

Trini's voice reached him clearly through their helmets'  
comm system. She'd watched her team leader's fight and been ready to dash  
in and drag the motionless Pink Ranger out of harm's way as soon as possible.

""How is she?" Tommy slashed off another writhing appendage,  
only to see it replaced by a new one almost faster than the eye could follow.  
"Damn!" he shouted, frustrated. Would nothing cut this beast down to size?!?

"Just unconscious and recovering nicely," Trini reported  
after two endless minutes. "She's going to be good as new."

"Great," Tommy sent back, then turned his full concentration  
on his opponent. A sweeping arc with his saber cut off half of a tentacle,  
but that, too, didn't seem to faze the monster.

"Any bright ideas, Saba?" he panted, lithely somersaulting  
over a sneak attack by several more of Tentacrawl's limbs.

"Hmmm ... yes, I believe so," the tiger's head replied.  
"Try cutting a tentacle off, then turn me so I'm facing the wound."

"You got it, little buddy."

As soon as the chance presented itself, Tommy did as suggested,  
and watched Saba cauterize the cut with energy beams from his eyes, thereby  
preventing new growth.

"Yeah! Way to go, Saba!"

"I thought so," the sentient saber said smugly, emitting  
another bright twin ray of energy when Tommy repeated the successful procedure.  
"It's always the Hydra principle with these multi-limbed creations. And  
they _never _think to redesign the solution! Why, I remember a time  
when ...."

"That's all very nice, Saba, but could we _please_  
get rid of this misbegotten squid first?" Tommy asked his 'assistant' somewhat  
acerbically. Saba was great, much more versatile than his Dragon Dagger  
had been, but he _did_ have a tendency to get sidetracked at times.  
_*They  
should **never** have taught him to talk,* _Tommy thought to himself  
with a secret grin as his Power Weapon huffily agreed to do as asked. He'd  
heard Kim come to over his helmet comm; she was disoriented, but fine,  
according to Trini. Jason was busy trouncing Goldar, Billy and Zack were  
mopping up the last Putties; time to do his own job.

"Let's rumble, Ugly," the White Ranger suggested pleasantly,  
methodically reducing the monster's tentacles to a mere eight. He twirled  
Saba meaningfully around.

~*~

"Uh-oh  tough luck, Goldilocks," Jason panted, watching  
the glittering arc Goldar's sword made against the trees as it tumbled  
end-over-end into the lake, torn out of the giant ape's grasp by a perfectly-executed  
maneuver with his Power Sword.

"Now Goldie can't play anymore," he mock-pouted, catching  
his breath. The fight had been exhausting, but just what he needed to ground  
himself in the here and now again. Jason met his enemy's angry stare with  
glittering eyes, knowing that somehow, the space alien could read his expression  
even through his dark visor. "You'll have to go home to Lord Zedd and get  
yourself a new toy!"

"Mock me now, Red Ranger," Goldar growled, furious. He  
was a good fighter even without his sword, but not so foolish as to take  
on an armed enemy. "This isn't over yet!"

"For now, it is," Jason declared firmly. He sent his weapon  
back into its subspace pocket. "I don't fight an unarmed opponent. Come  
back when you've gotten another kebab sticker!"

Shaking with rage at having been bested by the young Human  
 _again!_  but unable to counter in any way, the simian creature  
balled his right fist and struck it against his chest in a peculiar gesture.  
Without his usual sound or light effects, he vanished from the park. Jason's  
shoulders sagged in relief. Despite his bravado, there had been a few moments  
during the fight ... he shook the memory off and faced his friends.

"Everybody okay?"

Four voices answered in the affirmative, one of them still  
slightly hoarse, but full of pluck nonetheless.

"Good. And another one bites the dust," Jason commented,  
satisfied. "Let's help Tommy close up shop."

~*~

"Not so fast, Red Ranger," Zedd grunted from his vantage  
point high above Earth. He barely could hold his fury in check. "I don't  
know _how_ you did it, but somehow Tommy is back to his usual gutless  
form; well, that doesn't mean he'll get into little Kimmie's pants!"

From out of thin air, the Lord of Evil summoned a ball-shaped  
object that gleamed like dull silver. Taking aim, Zedd threw it unerringly  
towards his creation.

"Grow, Tentacrawl; fulfill your mission and bring the  
Pink Ranger to me!"

~*~

Tommy waited, his saber held at the ready, for the monster's  
next move, when one of the tentacles shot upwards towards the sky. He tensed,  
but there was no immediate attack. Instead, the tentacle returned, its  
tip curled tightly around a metallic ball. With incredible force the creature  
slammed the orb to the ground, then immediately ballooned into immense  
proportions in a gust of flames.

"Shit," the White Ranger muttered. He'd hoped to finish  
this for once without calling on their Zords. What good did all their awesome  
arsenal do the Rangers if they couldn't use it? The Pyramid Formation,  
the Power Blaster ... all of it nearly obsolete, just because Zedd insisted  
on feeding his growth potion to the monsters at the earliest opportunity.

"Time to get serious, guys," he called out to his team.  
Holstering Saba, he summoned his Zord.

"Right!" All five Rangers called on the Thunderzords and  
teleported into their respective cockpits. As soon as Tentacrawl's transformation  
was complete, the evil creature found itself face-to-face with both the  
Thundermegazord and Tigerzord in Warrior mode. Nevertheless, the monstrosity  
tried its best, or maybe worst, to disable the giant machines. But, hampered  
as it was by Tommy's earlier reduction of the number of its limbs, the  
remaining eight snake-like appendages weren't enough to withstand the combined  
Zords.

"This is getting really old," Tommy said to no-one in  
particular, firing a second energy ball at Tentacrawl. "Get out the Thundermegazord  
Saber and send him back where he came from, Jase!"

"My feelings exactly, Bro," Red Ranger transmitted back.  
"Let's do it, guys!"

"Wait!"

Kimberly's voice was still slightly strained from being  
near-strangulated earlier, but hard and determined.

"That ... that ... _thing_ ... was sent by Zedd directly  
for me; I want to be the one to finish it off. Let's join the Thundermegazord  
up with Tigerzord!"

Rather taken aback at the petite girl's vehemence, the  
others exchanged surprised glances. Kim wasn't normally vindictive. On  
the other hand, having had to listen to Goldar's rather graphic descriptions  
of the fate awaiting their teammate once she was in Lord Zedd's power,  
they couldn't really blame her, either.

"Your call, Kimberly," Tommy agreed. "Go for it, Beautiful!"

"Thanks, Tommy."

The Zords separated, re-formed, and Jason watched approvingly  
the exciting sequence when the Firebird launched from Megatigerzord's arm  
in a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, spun around and flew directly  
into the stories-high monster. The energy set free by the collision was  
too much for Zedd's creation, and it exploded into a million pieces, while  
Firebird soared away unscathed, winging triumphantly into the sky.

~*~

"Curses! How _do_ these brats manage to spoil even  
my most perfect plans?"

Zedd stomped through his throne room, the very walls of  
the edifice taking on a crimson hue as his rage poured off him in roiling  
waves.

"This would have been the ideal solution ... Tommy eliminated  
by becoming a girl, Kimberly warming my bed, the other Rangers demoralized  
... only no, they had to go and destroy what was supposed to be a foolproof  
way to _their _destruction!"

Suddenly, the Lord of Evil stopped in his tracks.

"Wait ... how in the name of all that's Evil did Tommy  
get turned back, anyway? He certainly didn't cut anyone's balls off as  
Baboo suggested he'd have to  instead, he let himself be fucked by his  
friend Jason ..."

The skinless being's thoughts whirled. Zedd might not  
be a genius, but neither was he stupid. His exposed brains were quite capable  
of putting certain facts together when they were presented openly.

"...unless that's another way of reversing the effects  
of the herbs and my spell! And that idiot Baboo either didn't know  or  
neglected to tell me! Well, let's find out! BABOO!"

The stubby-winged alien cowered in his hiding place as  
Zedd's furious voice boomed through the Citadel. He'd hoped it wouldn't  
have come to this; now his only chance to escape severe punishment was  
that either Zedd would vent his rage on enough breakables in his path as  
he stormed through the corridors before he found him, or to hide just long  
enough until his Master's anger died a natural death. Or he was distracted  
by another attack on the Rangers. Baboo trembled with fright as he listened  
to the distant sounds of his overlord's wrath. What if Squatt or one of  
the servant Putties had seen him? Would they betray him? Quite likely ...  
For the first time since his cubhood, he began to pray to the Lord of All  
Evil that nobody knew his whereabouts as metal-shod footsteps strode down  
the steps to his hideaway ...

***

"Very well done, Rangers," Zordon commended his team as  
six streams of rainbow-hued light shot into the Command Center, to reveal  
his team. However, his words went unheeded when the White Ranger removed  
his helmet, demorphed and the Pink Ranger launched herself again, this  
time against the once-more broad, smooth chest of her boyfriend.

"Tommy, you're back!" she squealed, joy vibrating in every  
fiber of her being.

"Sure am, Beautiful," Tommy laughed, catching the 5'2"  
missile with eager arms and lifting her high. "Just as good as before!"

"Mmm, I can see that," Kim murmured, running possessive  
hands down her boyfriend's torso, clad in a tight white tank top. The sultry  
look she sent him earned her a brief but passionate kiss, only barely controlled.

"I take it the cure Jason devised worked," Billy commented  
drily to Zack and Trini as they powered down as well. He was grinning almost  
as broadly as the team leader, though.

"Looks like it. A good thing, too; I was NOT looking forward  
to having to explain to my folks why I suddenly had a girl at my end-of-summer  
sleepover next week!" Zack jigged excitedly. "We're all still on for that,  
aren't we, guys?"

"Sure." "Naturally." "Yes."

All three male Rangers assented readily, but only Trini  
noticed that Jason's smile wasn't quite as enthusiastic as was his usual  
wont. Unable to read the dark eyes watching Kim and Tommy smooch and cuddle  
with a somewhat distant expression, she dismissed her sudden worry as probably  
just a reaction to the afternoon's excitement. Instead, she chose to divert  
everyone's attention.

"Zack, you really should tell Jason and Tommy about the  
lecture we attended at the library yesterday," she suggested with a smile.  
"I'm sure they haven't heard anything yet."

"Heard anything about what?" Jason asked, glad for the  
distraction. He was truly happy for Kim and Tommy, that they could be together  
again without awkwardness and difficult explanations and near-impossible  
adjustments, he knew he was ... but then, why did it almost hurt to see  
them embrace? Why was he tempted to step between them? He didn't know,  
although a tiny part of him was beginning to suspect.

Zack eagerly jumped into the breach, still all fired up  
about his new pet project.

"Well, you see, there's this International Peace Conference  
thing going on, and they're looking for candidates ..."

 

 

 

 

** _Thirteen_ **

"I can't believe you're really going," Tommy said for  
maybe the fifth time as he sat on the windowsill in Jason's room, watching  
his best friend pack. "How can you leave everything here? The gang, school  
... the Rangers ..." _Me,_ he wanted to add, but didn't dare. Although  
they used to talk about _everything_, those five days they'd spent  
in the mountains had been carefully avoided by all of them. Tommy suspected  
the others hadn't brought it up because they were embarrassed; even Zordon  
had contented himself with accepting the obvious  the 'cure' had worked.  
He'd only scanned both teens for aftereffects, but had declared them hale  
and sound soon enough. For his own part, Tommy hadn't talked to his best  
friend about what they'd shared because he was too confused. He'd experienced  
things, felt things he'd never expected, at least not like that, and certainly  
not with Jason  another guy. Truth to tell, even weeks later, the White  
Ranger simply didn't _know_ what to feel ... especially about his  
best friend. So, he just went with the flow, waiting for Jason to hopefully  
make the first move. Only, he didn't.

Events had happened with frightening speed after he and  
Jason had returned from their camping trip. Summer break had come and gone,  
Halloween was already over ... they'd all signed up for the Youth Teen  
Summit once school began, believing it to be a cause worthy of support,  
but none of them had ever seriously considered that one of their group  
would be chosen. Now, not one but three Rangers were going to Switzerland,  
had already been replaced by Rocky, Adam and Aisha. The replacements were  
great people, fitting in well with Billy, Kim and himself, and yet ...

"I can't believe you're really going," Tommy repeated,  
unable to face that fact.

Jason didn't answer for several seconds, continuing to  
sort through clothes, books and personal mementoes. He took a pile of shirts  
and laid them on his bed to pack along with pants, underwear ... blue,  
black, green, white ... only one or two glimpses of red were to be seen  
in the multi-hued array of clothes. That was another thing Tommy found  
very hard to accept  Jason wasn't wearing a single speck of red, hadn't  
done so in fact since he'd passed on his Powers to Rocky. Not that the  
blue jeans were that unusual; the plain grey sweatshirt, though, was.

"Maybe because I have to," Jason replied finally, not  
looking at his best friend. He'd wrestled with his thoughts and emotions  
in the aftermath of their experience for a long time, and was slowly coming  
to a conclusion he couldn't deal with. Not yet, anyway, while things were  
still too fresh.

"Huh? Why? Whaddaya mean, you _have_ to?" Tommy asked,  
puzzled.

His best friend sighed, let the books he was sorting fall  
to his desk and turned to look at him.

"Tommy ... I don't _want_ to leave the team, or any  
of you, but maybe it's time for me to move on. I don't know. For what it's  
worth, I think Rocky and the others are good choices, and I believe you'll  
do great, leading them. That's _one_ reason why I think I have to  
go  you need to make your own decisions, not let me take over out of habit."  
He grinned fleetingly. "And don't tell me you haven't resented it sometimes  
when I couldn't let go, couldn't let you do things _your_ way instead  
of mine!"

The long-haired young man grinned back.

"Um ... maybe 'resent' is a bit strong, but ... I know  
what you mean. Guess I wouldn't be any different in your shoes. It wasn't  
too bad, though, and I think we were on our way to iron all the bugs out.  
But Jase, that's no reason for you to leave Angel Grove altogether, is  
it?"

"At least not the only one."

"What's the other?" Tommy asked, suddenly afraid that  
somehow, at some point, he'd betrayed the fantasies he couldn't suppress  
to his best friend ... fantasies born of his memories that were nothing  
more than maybe a quite natural aftereffect of their closeness up in the  
mountains, weren't they?

Jason sighed again. He'd hoped to get around explaining  
this, but ... apparently not. Leaning against the door, watchful that his  
mother shouldn't surprise them, he fixed serious dark eyes on the White  
Ranger.

"Tommy ... I know we never talked about this, but maybe  
we should have." His look told exactly what he was referring to.

Tommy blanched. "That time in the mountains," he whispered.

"Yes. More precisely, the fact that we ..."_ made love_,  
Jason wanted to say, but didn't "... became intimate.Only, I didn't know  
how, or even what to say to you. What I _do_ know is that those five  
days, and what we shared, changed things. Changed me, anyway."

"Changed you ... how?" Tommy wanted to know. He was incapable  
of anything but a hoarse mumble.

"That's one of the things I need to find out, Bro," Jason  
explained. He summoned a faint smile as he moved across the room to stand  
close to his friend. Both were unhappily aware that neither reached out  
to touch the other, the way they'd used to  before.

"I can't find that out here, Tommy. Everything's too close.  
Going away all the way to Europe may be a bit extreme, I admit, but since  
the opportunity presented itself ..." he shrugged deprecatingly.

Deep within, Tommy had to concede Jason's reasons were  
powerful ones, matching his own jumbled thoughts perfectly as usual, and  
were most likely the right reasons, too, but he couldn't see his life without  
his best friend and teammate at his side  every day. He suspected  
he was wallowing in self-pity a little, but couldn't stop himself.

"You said you'd be with me always," he muttered plaintively,  
blushing.

"And I will be. Bro, there's mail, and the internet ...  
and in a real emergency, I'm only a phone call away, if we ever manage  
to figure out the time differences. Just because I'm going to the Peace  
Conference does _not_ mean I'll stop being your friend!"

"You won't?" Even to his own ears, Tommy sounded for all  
the world like a very small boy, reaching for the tiniest shred of hope.

Jason grinned. Confused or not, _that _was something  
he was very sure about.

"No. We may not have known each other all that long, but  
I know one thing  we are, and always will be, best friends."

"Yeah."

Gratefully, Tommy held out his hand. Without a second  
thought, Jason put his own into the other's  just like they'd done not  
all that long ago, on a wind-swept beach. Then, briefly, awkwardly, they  
hugged, separating again before they did or said something neither was  
ready for.

"I'm still going to miss you, ,though." Tommy had to clear  
his throat twice before he could form the sentence.

"Me, too, Bro," Jason agreed wholeheartedly. "Now, didn't  
you come over to help me pack?"

"Sure." Tommy obligingly scooped up a load of folded shirts  
and followed Jason to the door. "I still can't believe you're really going,  
though."

His best friend groaned.

***

"Where _is_ he?" Kimberly fumed, having searched  
what seemed like half of Angel Grove for her errant boyfriend and team  
leader. He wasn't at the Youth Center, not with Billy or any of the other  
guys ... she was by now relegated to wandering aimlessly through the park,  
hoping to catch a glimpse of Tommy. So far, that hope had been in vain.

It wasn't that she needed him for anything in particular;  
it was just that the weather was unusually nice for early winter, even  
in California, and she'd thought they could just _do_ something together,  
no matter what. This Saturday afternoon was about made for couple-type  
things.

"Ever since the guys left for Geneva, Tommy's been moping,"  
she muttered to herself when even the park yielded not a trace of the tall  
White Ranger. "It's almost worse than when he lost his Green Ranger Powers  
 only now he can't have gone to his uncle's cabin in the mountains, because  
we're in school all week." Huffily, she sat down on a bench, propped her  
elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands, and thought hard.

_*Now, if he were Jason, I'd know where to look  Jason  
would be on top of the cliffs, looking out to sea when he wanted to be  
alone,*_ the slender girl reminisced with a nostalgic smile for her  
absent friend and 'big brother'. Sometimes, she missed the three former  
Rangers so much ...

"Waitaminute!" Kim exclaimed, as suddenly a few things  
went _'click'_ in her mind. _*Mountains ... Jason ... missing him  
... cliffs ...*_ "I know where Tommy is!"

***

Some time later, the Pink Ranger had indeed found her  
boyfriend  leaning against a rock down on the beach far away from town,  
in the small cove where Jason had destroyed the Sword of Darkness, broken  
Rita's spell over Tommy and where they'd both always claimed their friendship  
began ... the instant they first shook hands.

"Oh Tommy," she whispered, seeing how much he hurt in  
the way the broad shoulders slumped, how he didn't care that the breeze  
whipped his long hair into a tangled mess ... and how his eyes stared unseeingly  
out across the ocean, looking for someone half a world away.

As silently as possible, Kim climbed down to the narrow  
stretch of beach. It was pleasantly warm behind the larger rocks, where  
the wind didn't reach. She needn't have worried about noise, though; Tommy  
was so absorbed in his thoughts that he only noticed her presence when  
she put a small hand on his forearm. He flinched, but recovered almost  
immediately.

"Huh? Oh ... hey, Kim," Tommy said, blushing. He looked  
away quickly, but not before his girlfriend could read the pain in the  
chocolate eyes.

"Hey, Tommy," she only said, though. "I've been looking  
all over for you."

"You ... you were? Er, was there something you wanted?  
Or, um, did I forget something?" the teen stammered, now thoroughly flustered.

"No, silly. I just missed you," Kim declared lightly,  
bestowing a bright smile on her boyfriend. "I thought, since the weather's  
so nice and all, we could do something together."

"Oh." His phenomenal lack of enthusiasm wasn't lost on  
Kimberly, who refused to let it touch her. Instead, she sank down next  
to Tommy, sparing only a fleeting thought for her new pair of pale pink  
jeans. But, Tommy was worth them, and more. Slipping an arm around his  
waist, she leaned her cheek against a muscular shoulder, thankful that  
Tommy didn't hesitate to draw her closer against his lean body. The two  
sat quietly like that for quite a while, lost in their own thoughts, when  
Kim decided to break the silence.

"I miss him, too, you know," she whispered. "So does Billy."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Tommy replied, aghast.  
He'd believed he had hidden his misery over Jason's absence from everybody,  
especially Kim. To know that she'd noticed ... he felt his face change  
color repeatedly.

"Jason, of course," Kim answered matter-of-factly. She'd  
come to terms with the fact that her old childhood friend meant just as  
much to Tommy as she herself quite a while ago. "Tommy, he's your best  
friend. You two were closer than most brothers. I've known Jase since second  
grade; we've always been thick as thieves. It's only natural that we both  
miss him. You maybe even more than me or Billy, but that's okay."

It was far more than that, Tommy was slowly coming to  
realize, but he was grateful for Kim's understanding of the situation as  
she saw it.

"Thanks, Kim," he sighed only, though, squeezing her slim  
body gently. "I knew it was going to be hard, and I'm trying, but ... I  
didn't know what it'd be like. I was so used to him being there every day  
..."

"I know." A faraway look entered the doe eyes, and now  
it was Kim's turn to gaze out at the horizon.

"How can you?" Tommy wondered.

She looked at him searchingly for a moment, then relented  
in the face of his pain and confusion. Even if it hurt ... for Tommy, she'd  
let the memories come back.

"It was like that when my Dad left us," she confessed  
finally. "He and Mom both talked to me and my brother once they'd decided  
to separate and get divorced, and I'd thought I'd understood their reasons  
 surely anything _had_ to be better than their constant fights   
but I didn't expect to miss Dad so much, didn't know how much a part of  
my life Dad had always been, despite him being away so often," she explained.  
"Even though we talked on the phone regularly, and we wrote letters, it  
just wasn't the same as having him live with us."

"That's exactly how I feel," Tommy sighed, smiling gratefully  
for having someone _understand_. His parents certainly didn't; sure,  
they'd liked and approved of Jason and their friendship, he knew they loved  
him, but ... _"You'll make new friends"_ wasn't what Tommy wanted  
to hear  he wanted his Bro back! Any way he could get him ... the young  
man sighed again. "Jase said he _had_ to go ... he gave me his reasons,  
and I thought I'd accepted them, but ..."

"Why would he think that? Tommy ... does it have anything  
to do with what happened between you when Zedd had you under that spell?"  
Kimberly asked, following her intuition which had had her seek out her  
boyfriend in this secluded space in the first place. "You never told any  
of us what happened between the two of you ..."

Tommy deliberated for a minute what, if anything, he should  
tell Kim. She already knew the basic fact  that he and Jason had been  
intimate  but it had been so much more ... and he didn't, _couldn't_  
betray what exactly had gone on in that mountain clearing.

"It has a lot to do with it," he admitted cautiously.  
"Jase thinks it's changed us ... and maybe he's right ... only, I didn't  
 don't _want_ us to change!"

"Change is only natural, and doesn't necessarily have  
to be a bad thing," Kim said wisely. She'd learned that lesson through  
her parents' divorce, through becoming a Ranger ... through falling in  
love. Curiously, she looked at the tall young man holding her.

"Tommy ... you needn't tell me any details, but ... when  
you were a girl, did you and Jason really have sex together to change you  
back?" Her blush was only partially due to asking a very personal question;  
she also couldn't forget the fantasies she'd woven during that time, and  
how she'd relieved her own arousal while letting her imagination run riot.

Tommy took his time to answer.

"Yes." It had been far, far more, but _that_ was  
something he _couldn't _tell Kimberly  not without hurting her. Instead,  
he settled for superficial things. "Any way you can think of, and others  
I bet you never have."

At her surprised "But how could you ... with a guy ...  
what ...?", he elaborated, shocking her deeply.

"We did _everything_.It was weird at first,  
getting started ... I mean, I'd never looked at Jason as ... as a lover  
before, but once we got into it ... we had one hell of a good time. There  
was a lot of plain old lust involved, along with a good dose of feeling."  
He smiled at the memories, a sensual expression that sent shivers down  
the Pink Ranger's spine, then looked down into the hurt brown eyes. Tommy  
kissed them gently. "Kim, don't look at me like that. It took me a long  
time to accept all of this, to reconcile _me_ with all the things  
I did with and to Jason, but that doesn't make the memories any less good,  
and it's why I miss Jase so much now. We shared too much. I'll get over  
it eventually."

"What about me ... us?" Kim asked, choking back tears.  
This was _not_ what she'd wanted to hear; she could deal with Tommy  
having had sex with Jason for a practical reason, but to know it had been  
something else for her boyfriend ... something she'd wanted to share with  
him for both their first times ... in a very inexplicable way, Kimberly  
felt cheated. "You said you wanted to share your first time with me ...  
now you're telling me you've already done it all  with Jason?"

"Beautiful, I _will_ have my first time with you.  
Just like you said, you'll be the first girl I'll make love to  whenever  
you're ready. I can wait. If nothing else, being with Jason has taught  
me this can't be rushed. What happened up in the mountains ... in some  
weird way, I almost feel as if that wasn't really me. I mean, it was, but  
at the same time, I wasn't ..." helplessly, Tommy broke off. He was at  
a complete loss to explain this dichotomy to Kimberly, but a cautious glance  
into the lovely eyes showed him that her tears had dried up while she thought  
about his words.

"I think I know what you're getting at," she finally replied  
slowly. "You watch yourself doing something, knowing it's you, and at the  
same time, it's as if you're watching a movie of someone else, with someone  
who just happens to look exactly like you."

"Yeah," Tommy answered, chewing her explanation over in  
his mind. At times, it _had_ been like that ... and at others, it  
hadn't. But, Kim didn't need to know that. He kissed the top of her head.  
"Thanks for listening  and for understanding," he told his slender girlfriend  
tenderly.

"I'm not sure I really do," Kim said. "But, I guess it'll  
do for now."

"Uh huh."

The two sat in a close embrace for a long time, holding  
each other while they let the gentle surf soothe their troubled minds.  
The sun shone warmly, the wind was hardly noticeable in their secluded  
corner of the cove, and eventually, their comfortable silence engulfed  
them, wrapping them in a cocoon of loving togetherness.

"I love you, Tommy," Kim whispered eventually into the  
still air surrounding them; it wasn't a specific declaration, just a voicing  
of her thoughts and feelings in that particular moment.

"I know, Beautiful. I love you, too," Tommy murmured back,  
pressing his lips once more into the sweet-smelling caramel locks. That  
was the only thing he _hadn't_ shared with the Red Ranger  his feelings.  
_*But  
you wanted to, at the end,* _that insidious voice in his mind whispered,  
calling up memories of how it had felt to hold Jason close, of being held  
by him, but Tommy shushed it impatiently. This was not the moment to deal  
with his confused emotions; this moment in time belonged to the sweet reality  
in his arms. Kimberly ... the one person who had captured his heart from  
the first, before Rita turned his life upside down. He would not take anything  
else from her.

Kim lifted her face to Tommy's at his softly-spoken declaration,  
brown eyes full of trust and emotion too powerful for words. He accepted  
the offering gratefully, giving his own feelings freely in return, and  
kissed the petal-soft lips, gently, tenderly, until they yielded under  
his mouth and their tongues touched, exchanging taste in an ephemeral dance  
that lasted a long, long time.

***

Afterwards, neither knew how it had happened, but somehow,  
Kimberly came to sit crosswise over Tommy's lap, his strong arms cradling  
her body and her hands tangled in the long brown locks. Their kisses were  
still sweet and tender, but had deepened to the edge of passion, and Tommy's  
hands had started to wander from simple holding into more exciting territories.  
His body had grown first tense, then hard with wanting, the longer he held  
her  and there was no way Kim could be unaware of his erection, not when  
she was nestled so close to him. They'd ventured here before, but always  
there'd been uncertainty, a little fear even whether they were doing things  
right ... or doing the right thing. Whatever it was, it was gone now. While  
Tommy took nothing for granted, accepting every liberty Kim allowed him  
gratefully, they were sure about each other.

The White Ranger lifted his head to look at his girlfriend,  
taking in her sultry smile and dreamy expression with a feeling of absolute  
rightness. He liked the position they were in, the way he was holding her  
... and mostly the way Kim responded to everything he did. Tommy had one  
arm draped around Kimberly's back when he released the kiss-swollen mouth  
for a breath of much-needed air, but his other hand rested just under the  
pert swells.

"Kimberly," he whispered hoarsely, half-questioning.

"Yes, Tommy," she answered, not a trace of hesitation  
in her voice.

He hardly dared believe, but his instincts seemed to _know_;  
he found his fingers exploring the gently-rounded contours of her breast,  
tracing the edge of her bra under her shirt with the most delicate touch,  
feeling the center of the firm globe harden against his palm. Tommy brushed  
a thumb over that tiny kernel of sensitive flesh, and heard Kim suck in  
an excited little breath. Bolder, he then placed his whole hand over the  
treasure he longed to see, to nuzzle, squeezing carefully. When that produced  
only an encouraging smile, Tommy reluctantly released Kim with a parting  
brush over and around her fullness and holding his breath, slipped his  
fingers under the hem of her tee, skittering over the soft flesh of Kim's  
abdomen upwards, until he encountered the lacy prison that confined her  
breasts. Suddenly, just feeling wasn't enough anymore.

"May I?" Tommy asked, lifting the hem of the pink-striped  
garment.

Nervously, Kim nodded; she'd let Tommy touch her before,  
through her clothes, but he'd never _seen _her less than fully dressed.  
Well, he'd seen her at the beach wearing a bikini, or in her exercise clothes,  
but somehow, this was different. She blushed slightly as he pushed the  
pink-striped shirt upwards, exposing her cream-colored brassière  
with its tiny pink rosebuds woven into the lace to his intent gaze. The  
admiration lighting them did not escape the petite girl, though, and she  
couldn't help the tiny smile quirking a corner of her mouth.

Oblivious of everything but the sight before him, Tommy  
uttered a soft "Wow." It dispelled any doubts Kim might have had about  
her desirability for her boyfriend, and the sensation was curiously liberating;  
it made her feel ... powerful. Her smile grew.

Returning her smile, Tommy dipped his head and kissed  
her right in the valley between her mounds. Next, he mouthed his way towards  
the dusky tips, enclosing first one, then the other in the warmth of his  
open mouth. Daringly, he licked once over the lace-covered flesh, the fabric  
rough against his tongue. The sensation was strangely erotic and Kimberly  
didn't protest, so he repeated it. Again. And again, switching sides often  
until he could feel the pebbled nubs throbbing against his lips.

"Ohhh ..."

The soft, needy moan sent the young man's heartbeat skyrocketing  
 as did the involuntary arching-up against his chest that Kim did next,  
as if she was begging for more. He granted it unstintingly, caressing the  
smooth skin of her belly and back, cupping her firm buttocks and cuddling  
her against himself until Kimberly started to squirm. Tommy made himself  
stop to gaze at her questioningly. She was tight as a bowstring, had her  
eyes closed, a tiny frown on her face and was biting her lower lip, whether  
from anxiety or tension, he couldn't say. Tommy soothed the soft flesh  
from between her white teeth with teasing licks and nibbles, until the  
pouty mouth opened once more under his own. They kissed long, and deep,  
until both were breathing hard. When they had to part, Tommy slid just  
the tip of one finger under the scalloped edge of Kim's bra cup, then sought  
the smoky brown eyes.

"Are you sure of this, Kim?"

She lifted a small hand to his cheek. To her surprise,  
she saw that it trembled slightly, but her voice was steady.

"I've never been more sure of anything, Tommy. I want  
you. Please don't stop now."

Relieved, he kissed her once more. Looking around, he  
knew they were alone on this mostly-deserted part of the beach, but he  
was aware that Kim might prefer a safer, more private location. His own  
fantasies, after all, always involved his or her room  with darkness or  
soft light surrounding them, a nice, comfortable bed, or at least a couch.

"I won't, but ... we can go someplace else, if you want?  
My folks are out for the day ..."

Kimberly sent a brilliant, sultry smile at him, relaxing  
in his arms.

"That's sweet." She kissed a fingertip and placed it briefly  
against Tommy's lips, transferring the kiss playfully to his mouth. She  
shuddered when he drew her finger in, licking sensually across the pad,  
biting gently. "What's wrong with here and now, though? Unless you need  
to go someplace first? For, um, you know?" she asked, suddenly anxious.  
In the heat of the moment, of revealing herself to him this far, she hadn't  
thought about protection; there was a small packet of condoms hidden in  
her nightstand, just in case, had been there ever since she started wanting  
Tommy, but she didn't carry any with her ... Kim breathed out again when  
Tommy smiled at her, following her train of thought perfectly.

"No need. I may be forgetful about anything else, but  
never about your safety, Beautiful," he murmured, sliding his hands once  
more around to her back, caressing her spine. Endearingly unskilled fingers  
sought the closures of her bra. She shivered deliciously. "I'm prepared."

"Thank you," she whispered back, running both hands through  
his wind-blown hair, drawing him down into another, more heated kiss. "Don't  
make me wait any longer, Tommy ..."

"I couldn't, anyway  not if you continue to kiss me like  
that," he teased, breathless with arousal and sudden need.

"I _like_ kissing you like that," she replied, boldly  
reaching for him once again. This time, both moaned into each other's mouth,  
sending their pulses even higher.

They started to undress each other then, shedding their  
clothes leisurely, helping each other without haste, until they were both  
naked. Tommy had spread his flannel shirt onto the ground as a sort of  
makeshift blanket for his girlfriend, and was gazing at her slender body  
with unabashed appreciation. The autumn sun was warm on their skin as he  
followed her tan lines with a questing finger, making her tremble. There  
were other parts of her body he wanted to touch, but he could wait a little  
longer ...

"You really are beautiful, Kim," he whispered, overcome  
with awe. No fantasy or stolen glance at magazines could have prepared  
him for the impact the peaches-and-cream skin was having on his senses  
 touch, sight, smell  he could hardly wait to add taste to it, as well.  
And he positively longed to hear Kim sigh his name, the way she sometimes  
did when they'd ventured beyond kisses before.

"Thank you," the young woman blushed, pleased by the compliment.  
She was busy taking her own visual inventory of her soon-to-be lover's  
fit body. Of course she was familiar with his leanly-muscled chest, the  
rippling abdomen, the strong, muscular thighs ... Tommy went shirtless  
often enough, after all, or wore shorts. Kim smiled at the memory of how  
she'd almost started drooling the first time she'd seen him in his football  
uniform. The silvery-white pants had clung to his butt so enticingly ...  
and it was precisely that part of his anatomy that now held her fascinated  
eyes.

Kim had expected the tan line riding low on the lean hips;  
she'd tried to imagine the patch of dark curls, almost the same color as  
hers, at the apex of his thighs. But nothing in her experience had prepared  
her for what the first sight of Tommy's erect organ was doing to her senses.  
Biology lessons only went so far, and sneaking peeks at her mother's occasional  
copy of 'Cosmo' was nothing compared to reality. Fascinated, she reached  
out.

"May I?" she asked, just as Tommy had done earlier.

"Sure," he rasped, holding his breath in anticipation  
of her first touch. When it came, tentative at first, then more sure, gaining  
confidence with every inch of exploration, Tommy groaned in sheer bliss  
and sank back to lie flat on the beach.

"Oh Kim ...!"

"You like that?" she asked diffidently, closing her small  
hand carefully around the hot, pulsing length. It fit just right, not too  
wide or too slender, and Kim slid her loosely-held fist up an inch. Tommy  
instinctively pumped his hips upward, into the caress.

"I _love_ it," he moaned, reaching for her. "God,  
Kim, I need to touch you ...!"

"In a minute," the petite girl demurred, getting bolder.  
"I'm not done getting to know you yet." She lifted sparkling eyes up to  
his, doe brown meeting melted chocolate. "Please, Tommy?"

Groaning with need, Tommy forced his body back down onto  
the sun-warmed sand. Every muscle was coiled, waiting, wanting ...

"You're killing me, you know that?" he grumbled, but let  
her hear the warmth in his voice.

"Oh, I think you'll live," Kim whispered, her normally  
light voice a sultry purr as she pressed a kiss against his heaving chest.  
Quick as lightning, she nipped at a hard brown nipple, laughing delightedly  
as Tommy arched and sighed. Her own tender nubs were erect and straining,  
just like his manhood she was fondling, but she wanted to make him squirm  
a little  the way she did when she masturbated, dreaming of this moment.

Kimberly sat up slightly, not caring that Tommy was watching  
her as she explored his sex. Tommy's cock was long, but not overly so;  
it rose from his body to lie flat against his washboard abs, quivering  
as she ran curious fingers along the shaft, tracing the veins, marvelling  
at the satiny skin.

"You're so soft, so smooth," she murmured, awed. "Like  
silk. And yet, at the same time you're hard ..." her fingertips touched  
the purplish-brown head, outlining the ridge.

"I know," he moaned, exerting every ounce of willpower  
he had not to pounce on the sexy body bent over him. He returned Kim's  
sassy grin with a rueful one of his own. "I'm often hard when I think of  
you," he confessed suddenly. "It's been like that from the start  ever  
since you first kissed me."

"Oh." To cover her pleasure and slight embarrassment,  
Kim let her hand stray towards the hair-covered sac, cupping the shifting  
twin globes in her hand and memorizing the different textures. She noticed  
elatedly that Tommy closed his eyes ecstatically and let his legs fall  
open, as if to invite her to explore further. However, that would have  
to wait for another time; she wasn't _that _adventurous yet. Instead,  
she grasped the throbbing length once more, pumping gently up and down.  
Tommy started to jerk his hips upward, into her grip. Apparently she was  
doing _something_ right  a quick glance at his glowing, sweat-streaked  
face confirmed it. Kim wished she dared kiss the smooth organ gliding through  
her fingers, but before she could make up her mind, Tommy's hand reached  
out to still her own.

"Stop, Beautiful," he rumbled, breathing hard. Seeing  
her confused pout, he explained, grinning a bit shamefacedly. "If you don't,  
this'll be over before it has really begun."

"What do you  oh." Kimberly colored again and almost  
snatched her hand away. Tommy laughed, making her scowl. He lifted her  
fingers to his lips and kissed them gently, tickling the palm with his  
tongue.

"Why don't I try to make you feel as good as you made  
me feel just now?" the young man suggested, pulling the slender body down  
on his. Both shivered with pleasure at the skin-to-skin contact.

"Mmmm," Kim purred, pressing herself more closely against  
the hard body holding her securely, her momentary funk already forgotten.  
There was no trace of shyness or embarrassment left; it felt _right_  
to be in Tommy's arms like this. "Please do."

"It'll be my pleasure, Beautiful."

The time for words was past; Tommy bent over his girlfriend  
intent only on giving her as much pleasure as possible. Recalling everything  
he'd felt and experienced at Jason's touch, he let his hands and lips roam,  
charting every inch of creamy skin until Kim came electrically alive in  
his arms, moving with and into his every touch without inhibition.

"Oooohh, yes," she moaned, shivering delightedly as he  
nip-kissed his way from her mouth down her slender throat, pausing at the  
hollow for what seemed like ages. At last, just when she thought she'd  
go mad with frustration, Tommy moved onwards, towards her heaving breasts.  
His mouth on the soft flesh felt heavenly, and Kimberly issued a small  
cry of pleasure as he closed his lips around a straining nub and began  
to suckle.

Sensations began to overwhelm her when he moved to her  
other breast; impatiently, she shifted in his arms, gasping as his hardness  
pressed hotly into her belly. Kim wound her arms around the strong back,  
touching where she could while Tommy explored her body with hands and lips,  
learning which places he needed to kiss to make her sigh, or what areas  
to touch with feather-light fingers to make her tremble. Skin began to  
get slick with sweat as the two aroused each other further, eyes grew heavy  
with desire as Tommy gently parted the slim thighs, to seek out Kim's most  
sensitive spot.

"Tommy!"

It was half-squeak, half-scream what issued from Kim's  
throat as soon as he touched her clit. Instinctively, the girl tried to  
press her legs together before she could control herself. Nobody had ever  
touched that place but herself, and to feel another's hand there, however  
welcome, was ... disconcerting.

"Easy, Beautiful," he soothed her, mistaking her reaction.  
The White Ranger patted the damp curls, running a fingertip along the puffy  
slit to coax her to open up again. Kim sucked in a sharp breath, surprised  
at the tingles darting from her sex deep into her belly. "I'm not going  
to hurt you, just trying to prepare you."

"I know," the gymnast murmured, exhaling deliberately  
to loosen tensed muscles. She looked up into the warm brown eyes, recognizing  
the heat in their depths. "It's just ... for a second ..."

"You're not afraid of me ... of this, are you?"

"No." Kim kissed Tommy. "Never."

"Then let me love you, Kim," he pleaded. "Let me inside  
... in every way. Please?"

"Yes ..."

It was just a breath of sound, barely audible, but Tommy  
heard nonetheless. Giving his petite lover a grateful smile full of promise,  
he then set out to make this first time everything it could be. Delving  
into her slippery heat, he coaxed forth wave after wave of sensation, feeling  
her folds grow slick with her juices. The surf splashing against the rocks  
became a soft melody that provided the rhythm to which he led Kim into  
desire, the distant cries of seagulls harmonized with their moans as she  
surrendered to his gentle seduction. His hand was drenched with moisture  
as he opened her up as far as possible, his tongue stroking hers in time  
with his fingers gliding in and out of her spasming opening. Kimberly held  
nothing back, responding freely while exciting Tommy with her own body,  
claiming his mouth, neck, chest with lips and careful teeth as her hands  
alternately skimmed and gripped his shoulders, back and buttocks. Tommy  
was hard where she was soft, big where she was small, but their blood simmered  
at the same temperature under hot, silky skin. Even though they were lying  
down, their entwined bodies swayed together until the need grew to be too  
much, until both were poised on the brink of release ... and still they  
waited, teased, kissed, touched ...

"Now, Tommy," Kim whispered when she could stand the suspense  
no longer, lifting her legs and wrapping them around his chest. She wanted  
 no, needed  to know all of him. By now, Tommy lay cradled between her  
thighs, his cock pulsing hotly against the entrance of her body. They had  
taken care to sheathe him with a condom some time before, together; while  
both regretted the necessity, they knew it'd be foolish to take chances.  
He shook his hair out of his eyes, lowering his mouth to hers a final time.

"Are you ready for me, Kim?" Tommy needed to know, although  
he'd felt her heat, tested her wetness.

"You know I am." Trustingly, she looked into his eyes,  
letting him see her need. "Come to me."

He did. Slowly, carefully, he eased himself into Kimberly,  
inch by inch, until he was buried as far as possible in the tight channel.  
There had been an instant of discomfort when he'd breached her maidenhead,  
but it was over almost before they'd realized it, and after that ... there  
was only bliss.

"Tommy ..." Kim sighed, overcome.

"Kim ..." Tommy murmured, awed.

Both smiled as they realized they'd spoken simultaneously.  
Of their own accord, their lips met once more, and when Tommy began to  
duel tenderly with Kim's tongue, their loins started to move together as  
well, fanning the flames of their mutual desire into a fire that burned  
and consumed them, but didn't hurt  instead, they fell into the inferno  
joyously, together, to emerge from the blaze unscathed, exhausted, but  
delirious with a new, different joy as only glowing embers remained and  
their heartbeats slowed.

Tommy lifted himself up from Kim, reluctantly leaving  
the haven of her body, but he knew he could not crush her with his weight.  
Instead, he settled on the sand next to her, cradling the slight body in  
his arms.

"I love you, Beautiful. Thank you," he whispered, brushing  
a stray lock of caramel hair out of her eyes. Kim forced her lids to open;  
she was feeling deliciously sated as the afterglow slowly drained from  
her limbs. She smiled at her lover, a sexy, sensual expression that made  
Tommy catch his breath anew.

"Thank _you_, Tommy  for making my first time truly  
wonderful," she murmured back, stretching sinuously in his arms.

"Ditto here." For a while they drowsed, cuddling close  
while they exchanged languid caresses and tender kisses, savoring the experience.

"Will it always be like this?" Kim asked softly after  
a while.

"I sure hope so," Tommy smiled at the tiny Pink Ranger,  
resting her head so trustingly on his shoulder. He gave a teasing squeeze  
to a firmly-rounded buttock. "I'll certainly try my best to make it so  
for you."

"Mmm. Me, too," she answered, then lifted glowing brown  
eyes to his. "But will you say the same when we're old and grey and wrinkled?"  
Kim laughed at his mock-horrified expression, then grew serious. "I can't  
imagine ever being without you," she admitted.

"Me neither, Beautiful. And if I have anything to say  
about it, we'll be together forever."

"I'd like that," the gymnast whispered, before their lips  
met in a tender kiss full of promise.

***

"Hmph!"

Lord Zedd grunted, coldly furious. He was more than angry  
that the White Ranger had succeeded where all his carefully-laid plans  
had failed  twice now. Even punishing that snivelling fool, Baboo, hadn't  
improved his mood much. Well, at least he wouldn't have to put up with  
any more clever 'suggestions' from that incompetent cretin for a good long  
while  he'd made very sure his minion had learned his lesson about giving  
him incomplete data.

"Forever is a very long time, Power Brats. And you won't  
live to see it, if I have anything to say about it!"

The evil being sent a last look down to the beach, imprinting  
the sight of a lithe, naked Kimberly writhing under her youthful lover's  
hands on his memory. He'd wanted to be the one to make her moan and cry  
out in ecstasy, submitting her to his twisted desires; instead, he'd had  
to watch how that irritating fool Tommy took once more what should have  
been his by might, if not by right.

"Enjoy fucking your precious Kimberly while you can, White  
Ranger," Zedd snarled, disgusted with the situation and himself. "I doubt  
you can hold her as long as you wish. She's too passionate to be satisfied  
by only one man, and it'll serve you right if you lose her. And I'll be  
there to celebrate your downfall at her hands." Resolving to put his near-obsession  
with the lovely Pink Ranger behind him once and for all, Zedd returned  
to his stone throne. Far better to think up a new plan to obliterate the  
whole team.

"Women are overrated, anyway," he grumbled, dismissing  
an uncomfortable thought about the Human adage of sour grapes. "I might  
just as well marry that old witch Rita, if she were still around. Ha! Not  
in another seven thousand years," Lord Zedd vowed. "_Nothing_ this  
side of the known universe would _ever_ make me do that!"

 

** _Epilogue_ **

"So, how do you feel about everything?"

Tommy grinned, hearing his best friend's voice call out  
from the bathroom of their shared motel room. He was training full-time  
at the racetrack in Las Vegas, and Jason had taken the chance to drop by  
during Thanksgiving weekend. The Scotts were away East, visiting relatives,  
and he hadn't wanted to stay at college on his own for the holiday. The  
two young men had spent all day at the track, with Tommy showing his friend  
around, introducing him to the team, tinkering some with his car and even  
letting Jason take a spin, with his Uncle's permission. Now it was early  
evening, and they were getting ready to hit the town. Tommy had already  
finished with his shower and was waiting for his friend to do the same.

"About what?" he called back, stepping into a pair of  
white briefs. He heard the shower being turned off. "Giving up my Powers  
to TJ, saying good-bye to Kat, or my talk with Kim?"

"All of the above, I guess," Jason replied, poking his  
wet head through the bathroom door. "Hand me a pair of boxers from my bag,  
will you?"

"Sure." Tommy turned to rummage briefly through Jason's  
luggage. Finding a bunch of black fabric tucked into a corner, he fumbled  
for an elastic, extracted a single item, then whistled loudly.

"Whoa, Bro  silk?" He smirked faintly as he handed the  
undergarment over. "I'm impressed! I didn't know you were into that." His  
snicker grew more pronounced as he watched Jason blush.

"They were on sale in Geneva, okay?" the former Gold Ranger  
muttered, snatching his shorts out of Tommy's hands. "And you haven't answered  
my question." The dark head and dripping arm disappeared inside the bathroom  
again.

"I know." Getting serious, his own wardrobe momentarily  
forgotten, Tommy leaned against the door, looking down at his feet. Drawing  
a deep breath, he tried to put his feelings into words.

"Giving up my Powers ... it was hard, yes, but not as  
hard as losing them." He didn't have to see Jason's understanding nod;  
after all, it was an experience they both shared. He'd lost his Green Ranger  
Powers twice, almost as painfully as Jason lost the Gold Powers  and they'd  
both passed on their respective Red Powers to worthy successors. "I miss  
being a Ranger, sure, but racing gives me the rush I need to get over not  
being able to morph anymore. What did it for you?" he asked curiously.

Jason answered through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Going away from home, being on my own, living on another  
continent, learning new customs, another language, meeting people from  
all over the world ... lots of things, really. Besides, I was way too busy  
to think much on it. But even if I did it by choice then, it _was_  
difficult giving up being a Ranger  more than I thought it'd be. I guess  
after some time you just get used to the danger, the adrenaline rush, like  
you said. Took me a while to adjust."

"Yeah."

They shared a moment of understanding silence, only interrupted  
by the sounds of Jason rinsing his mouth.

"What about you and the girls?" he asked finally. "I mean,  
you were pretty tight with Kat, and seeing Kim again like that, unexpectedly  
and right in the middle of squaring off with Divatox the first time ..."

"Kat and I decided to set each other free," Tommy disclosed,  
answering the easier question first. "What with her going to London on  
that scholarship, and my being away so often on the circuit ... it wouldn't  
have worked out. We preferred to end things while the going was still good,  
not have our feelings for each other just die. If we'd both stayed home  
... who knows? There was a lot of regret for both of us, sure, but no hard  
feelings. We're still friends, and will keep in touch."

"Great. I'm glad for both of you  Kat's a special lady,  
I liked seeing you two together."

"You liked Kat, period," Tommy grinned knowingly at his  
best friend. "I know you've always had a thing for blondes." There was  
no rancor in the remark; the former Ranger knew he could trust his friends  
not to betray him. Instead, he'd enjoyed seeing that Jason and Kat got  
along well.

Jason colored faintly, shrugged, then blew a defiant raspberry  
at Tommy, and both laughed. Then, he turned back to his grooming, picking  
up an electric razor to rid his face of five-o'clock shadow. "And ... Kim?"

Now _that_ was harder to explain. Tommy swallowed,  
his tone a mixture of chagrin, regret and hope.

"She and I had a chance to talk at least," he answered  
after a few seconds. "Kim apologized for the way she broke up with me and  
explained how she came to take up with that other guy. Seems the stress  
just got too much for her  being away all on her own, training so hard  
... and it certainly didn't help that I was so caught up in being a Ranger.  
She believed at the time that we'd be better off without each other." Tommy's  
tone clearly showed how much utter nonsense he thought _that _was.  
And how much he was still hurting over it.

"I see." Jason didn't, not really, but there was no sense  
in crying over spilt milk. Whatever the reason, the damage had been done.  
"She still together with what's-his-name?" The woodsy scent of his aftershave  
filled the small room.

"Andrew. And no, she broke up with him  in person  shortly  
after the Panglobals."

"Hmm."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked suspiciously.  
He knew that ruminative tone of voice.

"Nothing," his best friend assured him. "Honest. I'm sorry  
it didn't work out for her after all, she deserves to be happy  and you  
know how I think about the way you felt when she dumped you. Whatever her  
reasons, that wasn't fair or nice, after all you'd been through." The phonecall  
Tommy had made to Geneva would stay in Jason's memory for a long time   
all the pain and insecurity had been evident even half a world away. "But  
... do you think there's any chance you two might get back together someday?  
You _have_ forgiven her, haven't you?" Jason was pretty sure of that;  
Tommy just wasn't the person to hold a grudge forever. Plus, he'd seen  
the looks his friends had given each other after Muranthias. It took Tommy  
a long time to answer.

"Yeah, I have," he said finally. "Kim meant too much to  
me for too long not to. Still does, really. As for getting back with her,  
though ... I don't know. I mean, there's still some pretty powerful emotion  
left between us, but we've both changed. And basically, the same holds  
true for her and me as for my relationship with Kat. Kim's staying in Florida  
with Coach Schmidt for a while yet, now that she's been invited to train  
for the Olympics, I'm racing ... we'll have to see. Right now, we're both  
just glad we can be friends again. I've missed not hearing from her."

"I know you have." Jason smiled at his friend and former  
teammate, let the towel fall from his hips and climbed into the black shorts.  
His buttocks were flexing with every movement, and Tommy tried not to notice  
without being obvious about it. "For what it's worth, I think you two are  
making the right choice in taking things slow. See where everything's leading,  
and all that." _*Never mind that all of us who knew you as a couple will  
do everything we can to get you two back together ...*_ It was a thought  
better unvoiced, though.

"Yeah." Tommy returned the smile as Jason turned back  
towards the mirror, picking up a comb to style his spiky haircut into some  
kind of order. Thinking over their conversation, something else suddenly  
piqued his curiosity. "Whatever happened to Emily, by the way? The last  
time I was home, you two were practically living in each other's pocket."

A shadow flitted over the handsome face. That was a memory  
that was too painful yet to share, even with Tommy. "We didn't work out,"  
was all Jason said, though. His deep voice had grown rough with suppressed  
hurt. As he should have known, the other noticed.

"I'm sorry, Bro." Tommy placed a comforting hand on a  
slightly damp, broad shoulder. Feeling the taut-as-steel muscles, he stepped  
behind his best friend without thinking, beginning to massage the strong  
neck. Jason closed his eyes, accepting the friendly, soothing touch.

"Some other guy?" the former leader of the Rangers eventually  
asked his predecessor quietly.

"Eddie," Jason nodded, telling Tommy he'd guessed right.  
"The biker guy she hung out with before we met."

Sensing that that was all Jason was prepared to say on  
the matter now, Tommy just continued to rub soothing circles with his thumbs  
over the tense muscles, gratified that after a while the knots began to  
loosen. They stood like that in front of the bathroom mirror for a long  
time, giving and accepting comfort and understanding through touch, the  
way they'd always been able to do. Eventually, Tommy let his eyes stray  
from the tanned flesh he was kneading carefully to the reflecting wall  
in front of them. What he saw made him catch his breath and forget everything  
else. He was standing directly behind Jason, only a couple of inches taller  
than his best friend, and his hands were moving slowly from the dark hair  
over the broad shoulders halfway down muscular arms and back again. Their  
skin was equally tanned, nearly the same shade; even the play of muscles  
looked almost identical. The rhythmic movement was mesmerizing, as was  
feeling the pliant flesh shift under smooth skin to his fingers' touch.  
It would be _so_ easy to let his hands stray to tease Jason's nipples  
erect, to pull the other's cut body towards him ...

Tearing his wayward thoughts and eyes away with an effort,  
Tommy let his gaze sweep downward. It was a mistake. For now he noticed  
how the sculpted chest gleamed with the last traces of moisture in the  
harsh light, outlining the planes and hollows in a fashion he hadn't thought  
about in years. _*Like that time when he was standing in the pond, when  
I gave him that first blowjob.* _He gulped, hoping Jason didn't notice,  
and lowered his head.

_*BIG mistake!*_

Tommy could only agree with the voice in his mind  something  
he'd thought silenced a long time ago. Because now, the familiar male scent  
of Jason's freshly-showered body assailed his nostrils, the sight greeting  
his fascinated eyes was definitely erotic, and didn't fail to evoke a response  
deep within his own gut. He suppressed a shudder as a ball of heat slowly  
unfurled below his navel, causing his penis to twitch as blood rushed downwards.

Jason had never finished drying off completely, slipping  
on his shorts while still mostly wet from his shower. Consequently, the  
black silk was clinging to his anatomy in a most revealing fashion, showing  
clearly that the friendly shoulder rub was having an unexpected effect  
on the generous equipment Tommy hadn't dared to recall for ages. _*Never  
mind my dreams, though ...* _What was more, the thick cock was moving  
intriguingly under the damp fabric, tenting it as it stretched and lengthened,  
filling with blood. All of a sudden, the atmosphere between the two young  
men was charged with electricity, both trembling slightly with anticipation,  
waiting for the other to take the next step ... or step back altogether.

The long-haired young man knew the prudent thing to do  
would be to withdraw, to diffuse the situation with a small joke, but desires  
he'd thought forgotten rose up forcefully, making it impossible for him  
to stop touching his friend. Instead, he continued the massage, unconsciously  
letting his hands move in circles that were more a caress than anything  
else. Tommy felt his breath catch in his throat and his own shaft harden.

_*Danger!*_ his mind told him urgently. _*Are you  
absolutely certain this is what you want? What you **both** want? Because  
if you don't stop this now, there'll be no turning back  not like you  
could then.*_

"Uh, Jase," Tommy attempted to say, but his voice came  
out in an unsteady whisper. Before he could clear his throat and try again,  
Jason moaned softly as Tommy's hands wandered once more into the short,  
almost-black hair at his neck. Instinctively, Tommy circled his fingertips  
over the sensitive scalp, remembering how much his best friend had liked  
that particular action ... once, during five days they'd spent secluded  
in the mountains, making love. The erstwhile Gold Ranger moaned again,  
swayed on his feet and came to rest back-to-chest against Tommy, who was  
clad only in his briefs  a garment that was getting tighter by the second.  
Tommy gasped as flesh met flesh, and Jason's head lolled back against his  
shoulder, the handsome face turning towards him.

It would have taken a saint to resist the blissful expression  
of closed eyes, flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips ... and Tommy was  
all too Human. All thought fled, letting instinct take over. Sinewy arms  
closed possessively around the cut body, and Tommy's mouth descended on  
his friend's. The firm lips opened readily under the questing pressure,  
as if Jason had been waiting for it, and the two young men, teenagers yet,  
touched tongues, rediscovering tastes and textures they'd thought never  
to find again, melting against each other as they kissed. Jason's backside  
was glued to Tommy's front by the time they had to part for air, and when  
the midnight eyes opened, they blazed into chocolate-colored orbs with  
barely-checked desire.

"Tommy," the deep voice growled huskily, and the broad-shouldered  
young man ground his silk-covered buttocks into Tommy's cotton-clad groin.  
The message thus sent was loud and clear, and unmistakeable. The answer  
was immediately forthcoming; there was no way Jason could miss the sharply-indrawn  
breath, or the answering thrust of an impressive erection against his ass.

"Yes," Tommy replied simply, and took the sensuous mouth  
once more, harder this time, more demandingly. He found no resistance,  
and it enabled him to tear his lips away eventually, turn Jason around  
and pull him into a passionate embrace. The two kissed each other senseless,  
rubbing their straining cocks against each other through twin barriers  
of skimpy material, until even that became too much to bear. Tommy slid  
his hands downwards, skittering along the strong spine over a smoothly-muscled  
back until they came to rest on the waistband of the black boxers. Seeking  
and finding permission in the heavy-lidded dark eyes and an inviting half-smile,  
he then slipped inside, first to cup the tight round buttocks, then to  
draw the thin, clingy garment down, sinking to his knees on the cold tiles  
as he did so. Jason's cock, once freed from its confines, jutted forward,  
already leaking a pearly drop from the tiny slit at the tip, and Tommy  
reached out with his tongue to lick it off. _*Just like the first time.*_  
And as then, it was perfect.

Jason swayed and Tommy grasped the trim hips, both to  
steady his friend and to hold him where he wanted him. It had been too  
long since he'd been in this position, looked this closely at that thick  
organ, and he eagerly opened his mouth wide to draw it inside. The rounded  
cockhead filled him intoxicatingly, his lips shaping the generous cap into  
a most welcome plug delving deeply into his throat. Silk-covered steel  
glided over his tongue, and both men moaned at the sensations. The sound  
vibrated through Jason's sex, making him sigh and only spurred Tommy on  
as he began to lick and suck, recreating memories that had lived in his  
dreams for what seemed like ages, filling his senses with the taste and  
feel and scent of his very first lover.

For his part, Jason was simmering on the edge of ecstasy.  
He remembered the feel of that hot, wet orifice closing around his prick  
all too clearly, and as that first time, he was helpless to stop himself  
from burying his hands in the luxurious brown locks, pumping his hips in  
time with the maddening, teasing tongue swirling around his cockhead, drilling  
into the slit until he was thrusting himself more than halfway into Tommy's  
accepting throat.

"Suck me," he groaned when his lover let him slip out  
for a second to gasp for much-needed air, hovering against the soft surface.  
"God, Tommy, let me fuck your mouth!"

"I'm right here, Bro," the kneeling ex-Ranger murmured,  
teasing the sweaty crack between the firm asscheeks with one hand while  
the other fondled the heavy balls in their dark-furred pouch. Almost immediately,  
the round cap was pressed against his lips again, and Tommy licked the  
sensitive head broadly several times before swallowing as much of the pulsing  
dick as he could. He couldn't help feeling thrilled at the lusty sigh Jason  
issued as he sank back in, deeper than before.

"Oh yeah," the burly young man moaned, throwing his head  
back in sheer pleasure. Tangling his fingers once more in the long hair,  
he began to move, slowly at first, careful not to choke his partner, but  
faster and faster as his insides began to coil and tense. Tommy took everything  
he had to give, his tongue playing over every inch of the pistoning shaft,  
throat muscles working to accept more and more of the rock-hard length.  
Much too soon for Jason, both felt the twin globes slapping against Tommy's  
chin draw up tightly, and Jason froze in mid-stroke. Only about half of  
his cock was held between Tommy's lips, but he couldn't contain the churning  
in his balls any longer. With a primal cry of pure lust Jason came, shooting  
his hot seed deeply into the hungry mouth. Each separate spurt was greedily  
swallowed, and Jason was close to fainting with relief when he finally  
sagged backwards into Tommy's supporting hands, letting his spent prick  
slip out of the wet orifice.

Lithely, Tommy got up from the hard floor. Disregarding  
his aching knees, he gathered Jason into a close embrace and kissed him  
hard, giving him a taste of himself. The strong arms wrapped around his  
back, and the naked man didn't recoil as Tommy ground his own throbbing  
erection into the softening genitals. _*YES!!!*_

"Let's get into bed," Tommy rasped, desperate for his  
own release. _*God, I hope he says yes!*_

"Uh huh," Jason agreed willingly, giving his friend an  
understanding leer and a quick grope through the white cotton. Tommy responded  
with pumping his hips into the large hand and a smoldering look. Not letting  
go of each other for a second, the two staggered into the bedroom, yanked  
off Tommy's briefs together and fell onto one of the twin beds. They were  
all over each other for several minutes, kissing, fondling, teasing, until  
Jason pressed Tommy into the mattress with his greater weight and superior  
strength, to lean over him. He traced the panting mouth with the tip of  
his tongue, grinning and gasping when Tommy reached up to twist his nipples  
lasciviously.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to feel you  
suck my cock again?" the dark-haired young man asked huskily.

"Probably about as long as I wanted to take you in my  
mouth again," Tommy admitted, sighing as Jason moved his fingers down his  
belly to curl around his straining, aching prick. "Man, I wanted you _so  
_badly  
after we came back from the mountains!"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jason demanded, busily  
licking and nip-kissing the small brown circles in the center of Tommy's  
chest. They seemed to be slightly less sensitive  the action no longer  
made his partner writhe and moan. He scowled playfully at his friend. "This  
was a lot more fun when you had tits," he mock-complained.

"There's something else to stuff your mouth further down  
now, smartass," Tommy answered, squirming under the sensual assault and  
giddy with relief that they wanted the same thing  each other. "Why didn't  
_you  
_say  
anything? Besides, you were gone so fast ..."

"It's why I left in the first place," Jason admitted,  
suddenly serious. "I'd begun to want you  no matter that you were a guy  
again. At the time, I couldn't deal with that."

"Same here."

Both young men shared a sheepish smile. Then, Tommy reached  
up to cup Jason's face in long fingers. He looked deeply for truth.

"Can you deal with it now, Bro?" Unspoken was the question,  
_can  
you deal with US? With what I want to do with  and to  you?_ He needn't  
have worried. The dark eyes were clear and open, glittering with a small  
amount of amusement and a healthy dose of lust.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Jason rumbled. He kissed his friend  
thoroughly to emphasize his sincerity. "I'm still into girls, big time,  
but I want you, too. Any way I can have you."

"You'll get me," Tommy promised, his doubts dispelled  
and his own desire rising again. However, there was something else he needed  
to know; something it had taken himself a lot of soul-searching to come  
to terms with.

"How about other guys?"

Jason didn't pretend to misunderstand. He answered as  
honestly as he could.

"I've been ... interested a time or two. But so far, I  
haven't found anyone I'd trust that much. Except you."

"It's different between two guys, isn't it?" Tommy asked  
with a rueful grin, showing his best friend that he understood perfectly  
 and felt similarly.

"Yeah. But not between us."

"No. Never between us, Bro," Tommy murmured, drawing his  
lover into a long kiss that left both young men breathless. When they parted,  
lips moist and swollen, their eyes met, filled with laughter and desire,  
their hard bodies undulating against each other.

"Suck my cock, Jase," the once-White Ranger requested  
then. "I want to feel your mouth on me."

Grinning, Jason disentangled himself from Tommy's arms.  
His friend raised a questioning eyebrow as he sat up and slid down towards  
and off the foot of their bed, making himself comfortable on the floor  
with the discarded bedcover. "Scoot down here," he demanded next, tugging  
at a long leg. Puzzled, Tommy complied until he was in danger of sliding  
off the bed as well, his butt was so close to the edge.

"Aren't you going to lie down?"

"Nah," Jason replied cheerfully, grabbing a pillow from  
the other bed. He leered at his best friend. "Ass up!"

Before Tommy could object, Jason had stuffed the plumped-up  
pillow under his hips, raising them slightly. Next, he put his large hands  
on both knees and pushed the leanly muscled legs apart. Rising to his knees,  
he then moved into the vee, towards Tommy's exposed genitals, running gentle  
fingers along the straining muscles and soft skin of the inner thighs.  
His partner's cock, which had softened slightly, gave an excited twitch  
and lengthened noticeably. "Nice," Jason commented huskily, wedging his  
broad shoulders against Tommy's legs to keep them opened. Intrigued despite  
himself, Tommy propped himself up on both elbows to watch what Jason would  
be doing next. The inviting mouth was now very close to the erect shaft,  
warm breath fanning over the veined skin.

Using only his right forefinger, he then started to trace  
the outline of the pulsating pole. It drove Tommy nearly nuts, who craved  
a much more intense stimulation. It was a bit disconcerting to lie like  
this, almost as if on display, knowing that Jason had instant access to  
every part of his aching sex, but it was also arousing as hell. Now, if  
his best bud would only  
_do_ something to relieve the pressure in  
his balls and cock, but nooo ... Instead, he had to listen to the deep  
voice which sent shivers all through him as Jason began to speak almost  
conversationally.

"I assume that you've made love to Kim at least, or maybe  
Kat, too, since I left?" He waited for the confirming nod, all that Tommy  
was capable of. "I thought so. Well, I want you to know that while I was  
in Geneva, I met a very special young lady who helped me get over you   
at least for a while. Not that I really wanted to, you understand, but  
... anyway, Janine  that's her name, by the way  was quite beautiful,  
with the whitest skin you could imagine and the most gorgeous red hair.  
Everywhere."

The desperately aroused Tommy didn't want to hear this,  
in fact, he was becoming quite jealous as he heard the note of fondness  
in Jason's voice, but every softly-spoken word sent a gush of hot, moist  
air across the sensitive skin of his cock and balls, making them quiver  
in anticipation of another, more direct contact. He instinctively jerked  
up his hips, towards the firm lips, shamelessly inviting their touch. But,  
Jason wasn't finished tormenting him yet. A devilish spark in his midnight  
eyes, he continued to talk casually, letting that maddening finger twirl  
the dark brown curls, prod the shifting balls or dance along an inch or  
so of the hard prick.

"What I want to tell you is ... I wasn't Janine's first  
lover. Whoever she'd been with before had made sure that she was an expert  
cocksucker. And while she never could take me as deep as you," here, Jason  
placed a too-brief kiss at the base of Tommy's organ, making him groan  
out loud, "she had a _very _talented mouth ... and she showed me everything  
she'd ever learned. Which was ... plenty. And if you don't mind, I'd like  
to see if I remember a couple of her tricks. Have you got any problems  
with that?" The sensual huskiness in Jason's voice, coupled with his need  
and anticipation, was driving Tommy wild.

"Whatever," he moaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut  
and clenching his hands in the blanket to refrain from clamping them around  
the dark head and force his aching cock into the hovering mouth. "Just  
... just blow me!"

"In a second," Jason promised. "First, I'm gonna make  
you _really _wild."

With that, he bent over his friend's sex and kissed the  
very root of the throbbing pole, lingering there until Tommy thought he  
couldn't stand it anymore. His head fell back, long hair pooling on the  
sheet. Just as he was about to beg, the moist warmth disappeared and he  
forced his eyes open to see what Jason was up to now. The dark eyes glittered  
and the firm lips smiled reassuringly as the burly young man surveyed the  
feast before him. Tommy's long, hard shaft was stretched to its full length,  
easily matching Jason's own, and pointing upwards, almost lying flat on  
the ridged abdomen. Beneath it, his heavy balls were shifting in the crinkly-skinned  
sac, and it was too tempting for Jason to procrastinate any longer. With  
a low growl, he lowered his head and gave a long, slow, torturous lick  
around one round shape. Listening to Tommy's delighted sigh with a secret  
grin, he started to nibble and suck at the small globes, slurping them  
into his mouth first separately, then together, letting them roll around  
in the wet heat of his oral cavity.

Tommy threw his head from side to side as Jason licked  
at his balls, body arched tensely, nearly delirious with the new sensations.  
His aching cock was screaming with the need to be buried in a tight orifice,  
but it felt too good for him to protest. Finally, when he felt precome  
oozing steadily on his belly, the awesome mouth released his nuts, the  
cool air of their air-conditioned room adding to his excitement. Panting  
hard, Tommy tried to make his vocal chords cooperate to beg for more of  
the exquisite torture, but before he managed to do so, Jason's agile tongue  
swept from the base of his throbbing dick to the very tip, leaving a trail  
of wet fire behind.

"Jase ...!" Tommy almost sobbed, thrusting his hips upwards.  
He'd long since sunk back onto the bed, his arms too wobbly to support  
him anymore.

"Soon, Bro; I promise," the deep voice seeped into his  
nerves. "Just hang on a little longer."

Trembling with excitement, Tommy tried to comply. Forcing  
himself to relax, he stretched out on the bed once more. He was rewarded  
with a return of the moist mouth, nibbling around his cockhead, lapping  
up the viscous trail of preseminal fluid pooling below his navel, before  
closing around the purplish-brown cap. Warm hands pressed his hips down,  
or he would have pumped himself hard into the hot mouth; a second later,  
he was grateful for the restraint, or he'd have missed out on Jason's tongue  
tip vibrating against the vee of his coronal ridge, sending him nearly  
into sensory overload. His lover alternated the maddening caress with slow  
swipes of his tongue around his dickhead, drilling occasionally into the  
tiny slit to coax forth even more precome. Just when Tommy felt he'd go  
mad if he didn't get to come, Jason opened as wide as possible and let  
most of the pulsing shaft glide deeply into his throat. It broke his partner's  
control. Bucking his hips wildly, Tommy started to fuck upwards, not caring  
that now and then strong teeth scraped against his sensitized skin.

Jason let his best friend work off some of the tension  
he'd caused before he gently but firmly took control of their lovemaking  
again  or else Tommy would choke him. Drawing back until he held only  
the satin-slick cockhead between his lips, he bit down carefully, just  
hovering on the edge between pleasure and pain, until Tommy sensed the  
danger he was in. Moaning loudly, he sank back onto the mattress.

"Finish me off, Jase!" he begged. There was no answer,  
but a strong fist closed around his cock, holding it upright, while the  
corona was bathed thoroughly by Jason's tongue. Suddenly needing to see,  
Tommy forced his reluctant body again into a half-reclining position. Propped  
up on his elbows, he watched with hungry eyes how Jason's cheeks hollowed  
as he sucked strongly on the slender shaft. The dark eyes with their thick  
lashes opened languidly, meeting chocolate orbs, and the fire within them  
seared Tommy's skin. Once more, he began to pump his hips up and down,  
into the accepting mouth, and watched intently as Jason swallowed him again.  
The sight was extremely erotic, and Tommy felt his balls draw up and contract.  
Knowing he was going to come any moment, he shifted slightly, reaching  
out an unsteady hand to press the dark head deeper onto his cock.

Understanding, Jason flashed him a grin around his mouthful  
of hot male flesh and obligingly relaxed his throat muscles as far as he  
was able. Tommy felt them close around his prick, and it was too much.  
His insides clenched and exploded, and with a shout, he ejaculated as hard  
as never before, filling his best friend's mouth with his seed.

Tommy's senses were still spinning wildly when he felt  
himself finally go soft. Jason was still between his spread legs, licking  
and sucking gently at his deflating cock. Only when the very last pulse  
had faded did the first Red Ranger rise from the floor and crawl back onto  
the bed, drawing Tommy up with him and into his arms. They lay like that  
for a long time, both men breathing hard, kissing deeply, sharing the taste  
of Tommy's orgasm.

"That was wild," Tommy mumbled around a yawn some time  
later, drowsy but hardly satiated. His hands were wandering lazily over  
Jason's body, lingering here, teasing there, and he sighed. Entwined as  
he was with his best friend, he could feel Jason grow slowly hard against  
him again as they touched each other on shoulders, chests, arms, backs  
and buttocks.

"I know," Jason grinned cheekily, wrapping warm fingers  
around Tommy's spent pole. To his lover's surprised delight, a strong pulse  
of blood showed that they were definitely not done for now. "The first  
time Janine did me like that, I nearly went out of my mind."

"I can see why," Tommy replied, no longer jealous. Instead,  
he felt an intense curiosity. "What else did she teach you?"

"A lot," was the not unsurprising answer. "Want me to  
show you?"

"Eventually. But, before you do, _I'm_ going to show  
something to _you_," the long-haired ex-Ranger declared, stretching  
sinuously as Jason expertly revived his partner. His own hands weren't  
idle, either, rubbing and pinching the sensitive nipples on Jason's chest,  
making him moan and gasp with pleasure. Soon both young men were ready  
for more action, their cocks once again hard and rubbing against each other.

"Oh? What's that?"

"What it feels like to have a cock up your ass. I'm going  
to fuck you, Bro."

There was a moment of electric silence. Then, Jason's  
firm lips curved into a wolfish smile.

"I was hoping you'd want that," he rumbled, tangling his  
hands in the long brown locks and drawing Tommy on top of him into a hard,  
demanding kiss. "Because if you didn't, I was going to fuck you."

"You'll have to wait your turn."

"Not for long," Jason murmured, dark eyes sparkling with  
anticipation. He sighed appreciatively as Tommy lavished more attention  
on his hardened nipples, making him squirm slightly. "The night's young  
yet."

"Mmm. Maybe," Tommy agreed, arousing his friend to fever  
pitch readiness with a sure touch. Even though it had been years, he hadn't  
forgotten where to tease; he'd gotten to know the sculpted body of his  
best friend very well when he'd been spell-changed into a girl and first  
became Jason's lover. Soon, he had him panting with need. "Yes," the racer  
spurred his friend on. "Don't hold back ..."

"Shouldn't that be my line? Uuunnhh," was the moaned reply  
when Tommy nudged the muscular thighs apart so he could cradle the heavy  
balls in his hand for a minute. Jason wantonly spread his legs to give  
Tommy access to all parts of him, pumping his hips in a very blatant invitation.  
Tommy grinned, enjoying this far more than he'd thought possible. Neither  
Kimberly nor Katherine had been this uninhibited as bed partners. Unerringly,  
his fingers dipped lower, between the hairy cheeks to seek out that hidden  
opening.

"Shit," Jason groaned, feeling a fingertip first circle  
around his anus, then press inwards. The sensation was a weird mixture  
of ticklish, some very slight pain and a whole slew of lightning bolts  
that sizzled along his nerve endings, which he found extremely arousing.  
He squirmed against that teasing hand. It only served to push another quarter-inch  
of the strong digit into his ass, penetrating deeper. When Tommy tried  
to withdraw, though, the edge of a nail scraped against the dry wall of  
his rectum, making him wince. Jason forced his eyes open and lifted a shaky  
hand to Tommy's face. "W-wait a sec, please," he rasped.

Chocolate eyes, burning with fire, met his.

"Don't tell me you don't want it," Tommy murmured, bending  
low to nip at one hard nipple. He chuckled triumphantly when Jason arched  
up and pressed his head down onto his chest.

"Oh, I want it  _you _ alright," the broad-shouldered  
young man sighed, shivering slightly under the wet assault on his pecs.  
"It's just ..." he hissed as Tommy's finger twisted in his opening, experiencing  
both an uncomfortable burning and another electric thrill. The discomfort  
was stronger, and he bucked once, clamping his thighs together. Tommy was  
forced to withdraw his hand from between the sweaty buttcheeks. "Use some  
lube, man! That hurts," Jason told his lover finally.

"Oh. Why didn't you say so?" Tommy grinned, relieved it  
was nothing more. His cock was throbbing so much with the need to be buried  
in Jason's tight hole, he doubted he could stop altogether now that he  
was so close to fulfilling his long-held fantasy.

"I just did," Jason informed him, relaxing again. An answering  
grin played around his mouth as he watched Tommy scramble over to his nightstand  
to rummage briefly in the drawer. Within seconds, he settled back next  
to Jason, a tube of K-Y jelly and a square cellophane package in his hand.  
"What's that for?" Jason asked curiously, picking up the condom.

"Better safe than sorry," Tommy murmured, kissing Jason.  
"Look, Bro, I know you did me without a condom before, but it's been a  
long time, we were both virgins then and neither of us has been celibate  
in the meantime."

It made eminent sense, but ... "I didn't exactly sleep  
around, Tom," Jason remarked, searching the chocolate eyes earnestly. "And  
I was always careful."

"I know you didn't. I didn't, either. But, I don't want  
to take an unnecessary risk for either of us."

Jason ran his hands down Tommy's chest, closing his fingers  
lightly around the throbbing length jutting out from a nest of brown curls.  
The hot skin felt so silky under his fingertips, it had been so exciting  
to taste the salty musk earlier ... his thumb rubbed a drop of precome  
across the smooth round cap, making Tommy gasp and thrust into the loose  
fist. _*He's right, dammit.*_

"Promise me you'll take me again without anything once  
we've both had ourselves tested," he capitulated at last. Giving in to  
common sense earned him a fierce kiss that left both breathless.

"I promise," Tommy whispered huskily.

"Care to tell me why you have this stuff in the first  
place?" Jason was somehow not at all surprised that Tommy was ready for  
him.

"When you came back from Geneva, sometimes you'd look  
at me so ... anyway, I kept hoping that you would want me, too. One day.  
And if we ever had a chance like this ... I wanted to be prepared. Do you  
mind?"

"Not at all. It saves me a trip to the bathroom for my  
own lube," Jason admitted, sporting a sheepish smile. "I've started carrying  
some around, too, since I came back home," he added. "Just in case."

"You're worse than me, then. When you started dating Emily  
... I thought that was it, for _us_ at least."

"Never."

"Good," Tommy breathed, reassured. "Help me?" he requested  
then, and together they fitted the thin latex sheath over his aching length.  
It took far longer than it would've if he'd done it alone, because Jason's  
'help' consisted of licking every inch of pulsing skin down to the shifting  
balls while smoothing the transparent material down bit by bit. When it  
was finally accomplished, Tommy was harder than ever before. He grasped  
the broad shoulders and pressed Jason onto the mattress, lying on top of  
him.

"Just for that, I'm going to do you from the front," he  
declared.

"Fine by me," Jason murmured, dark eyes alight with lust  
and affection. He spread his legs so that Tommy came to rest directly between  
them, shifting until their cocks were touching from base to tip. "What's  
keeping you?"

"This, smartass," Tommy grinned shark-like, holding up  
the tube of lubricant. "_You_ wanted to use some, remember?"

"Right. So use it, already," the shorter man ordered,  
reaching out and unscrewing the lid. "I'm waiting ..."

"Maybe I should make you wait some more," Tommy grumbled  
good-naturedly, but both knew it was an empty threat. Their bodies were  
screaming for release, and the time was ... right. Kneeling between the  
trustingly-spread thighs, Tommy squeezed a liberal amount of the odorless  
gel on his fingers. "Careful, it's gonna be cold," he advised his lover  
a second before he started to rub the substance into the pale skin of Jason's  
ass, so unlike the rest of his golden tan.

"I know," Jason hissed, surprised despite the warning.  
But the gentle circular motion soon warmed the lubricant, making it slippery  
and smooth. He sighed appreciatively as a gel-coated fingertip once more  
teased his sphincter; this time, when the digit breached his body's defenses,  
there was hardly any discomfort, only a sensation of being stretched and  
opened. Which was exactly what Tommy was doing.

"Ohhh!"

The blissful moan made Tommy smile, and he pressed his  
finger further inside, feeling the tight channel first close, then relax  
around his probing. When he could go no further, he held the spot for a  
few seconds, letting Jason get used to the invasion, then slowly withdrew.  
The hot walls seemed to cling to his finger, and the shudder racking the  
strong body transmitted itself to Tommy. He could hardly wait until Jason  
was ready for him! Back in his finger went, then out, in ... until the  
muscles relaxed, loosened so that he could add a second finger, then eventually  
a third.

Jason writhed on the white sheet, totally lost in the  
incredible sensations Tommy's finger-fucking was producing in his body.  
Every now and then, he'd graze his prostate, and the jolt of electricity  
was nigh unbearable, igniting nerve endings all through him. His own cock  
was rock hard again by now, begging to be touched. With an effort, the  
one-time Gold Ranger stilled his frantic movements. He knew his asshole  
was clenching spasmodically around the fingers massaging the slight   
protrusion ... and he also knew it wasn't enough anymore.

"Come into me, Tommy," he panted, dragging his eyes open  
to look at his friend. "I want you in me  now!"

"Are you sure you're ready?" the long-haired race car  
driver asked, already adding more gel to his hand, working it into the  
tight orifice.

"I've been sure for a long time," Jason assured him, sending  
him a smoldering look that nearly broke Tommy's control. He caught his  
knees and lifted them up, offering himself wantonly to his lover. "Do it  
 now!"

"Still giving me orders?" Tommy taunted, but prevented  
an answer by taking the wet mouth in a ravenous kiss. Silencing Jason with  
a single look, he then coated his latex-sheathed cock with some more K-Y  
and positioned himself so that the tip rested against the well-lubricated  
crinkly opening. "Ready?"

"Yeah ... uuunnhhhhh," Jason groaned in mingled pain and  
delight as Tommy pushed forwards. There was a moment of resistance, then  
the tight muscle relaxed, gave in and Tommy slid into the hot orifice.  
Both young men were breathing hard, their chests heaving, but there was  
no turning back now. Concentrating fully on what they were doing, they  
started to rock together, moving in instinctive synchronisation, slowly,  
gently at first, until all of Tommy's slender length was buried to the  
hilt in Jason's hereto virgin ass.

"God, you're tight!" The ecstatic moan made Jason chuckle  
as he let go of his knees, adjusting his position so that he was gripping  
Tommy's torso with his legs. He could feel every inch of the hard prick  
pulsing in his bowels, and the sensation was indescribable. His anus felt  
stretched to the tearing point, but what little discomfort there was translated  
into shimmering waves of ecstasy that seemed to radiate outwards from his  
ass into every part of his body. His skin seemed to tingle all over, and  
the slightest movement of the man poised above him caused a fresh burst  
of delight.

"So were you," he laughed huskily, giddy with arousal.  
"Oh man ...!"

Tommy braced himself on his forearms and cautiously withdrew  
his hips a couple of inches, grinning as Jason arched up as if he didn't  
want him to go. "Feels good?" he gasped, trying to keep himself from plunging  
back into the incredible heat right away. He didn't want to hurt Jason  
 ever!

"Feels terrific," Jason admitted, trembling with need.  
"You feel huge!"

"Oh?" The casual remark was ridiculously pleasing; Tommy  
knew he wasn't exactly underendowed, but he was also aware that Jason's  
penis exceeded his own in girth, if not length.

"Yeah." Jason shuddered as Tommy eased back into him.  
Panting heavily, he grinned up into his best friend's face. "But not _too_  
huge  I love feeling you in me," he declared. "It's awesome. And, I'm  
not made of glass. You _can_ move faster than this, can't you?"

There was nothing Tommy wanted to do more; holding back  
like this, moving only slightly, was slowly but surely killing him!

"Sure I can," he murmured, thrusting a little harder into  
the narrow passage. "Is that what you want?"

Jason lifted his arms and caught the angular face between  
both hands. He waited until the brown eyes met his own, their bodies fused  
tightly together.

"I want _you_," he whispered silkily. He lifted his  
head and kissed Tommy, hard and fast. "And I can take anything you have  
to give, Bro. Don't hold back." To emphasize his point, Jason deliberately  
clenched his ass around the hot pole lodged deep within. "Take me, Tommy,"  
he cajoled. "Take me like I took you that last night, up in the mountains."

Memories rushed through the then-White Ranger, making  
him relive every exquisite sensation, of how it had felt every time Jason's  
cock had penetrated and filled him  his mouth, his sex, his own ass. Tommy  
shuddered, and instinctively he jerked his hips, moving back just a little,  
then forward again. The feeling nearly sent him over the edge, but he still  
held back, listening, waiting, watching Jason for any sign of distress.  
However, the only thing he got was a pleased breathless chuckle, the vibrations  
adding to their mutual pleasure.

"Fuck me, Tommy," Jason murmured, deliberately relaxing  
his body, becoming pliant and open. It was too much.

"Yes," Tommy sighed, giving in to their shared need. Placing  
his arms on either side of the dark head, he started to move his hips rhythmically,  
plunging in and out of the hot channel faster and faster, until his head  
began to swim with the sheer delight of possessing his best friend, of  
taking what was so freely offered and giving the same in return. He became  
dimly aware that Jason worked a hand between their bellies, gripping his  
own straining cock and pumping his fist up and down in time with his hard,  
frantic thrusts, but all he could feel was the tightness enveloping him,  
the ring of muscle gliding up and down his pistoning shaft as he moved  
within his best friend, squeezing him as no woman's sex had ever done.  
Tommy sensed that he was reaching his limit; his balls were drawing up  
tight towards his body, ready to give up their hot load, and he thrust  
even harder, intent only on his own headlong rush into fulfillment and  
knowing somehow that Jason was right behind him, following him up and over  
the precipice into the most intense orgasm he'd ever known.

Tommy plunged himself deeply into Jason's ass one last  
time, feeling the hot passage clamp around the base of his cock and he  
lost it then, shouting out his release in a loud bellow as he came, spurting  
burst after burst of his seed as his climax overwhelmed his senses. Even  
while he was trembling in the throes of his own orgasm, he felt Jason tense  
and freeze below him in a timeless instant, all muscles spasming as he  
reached his own pinnacle, then there was an explosion of hot fluid against  
his belly, and the sculpted body seemed to melt against him, the deep voice  
sighing his name in an ecstatic whisper. "Tommy ...!"

~*~

The two lovers clung together in the aftermath of their  
climax, both still trembling with the force of what they'd shared. They  
were sweaty and exhausted, even more so than when they'd first entered  
the room, but neither made any attempt to move, other than wrap strong  
arms around broad shoulders, relishing the skin-on-skin contact. Only when  
Tommy's softening penis began to slip from its tight sheath did they release  
each other.

Jason turned his head towards Tommy when the other disposed  
of the condom and settled next to him on the rumpled sheet. He smiled drowsily  
as he took in the dishevelled long locks, liking the sated, relaxed expression  
settling on the lean features. When Tommy's eyes met his, his smile widened.

"I love you," he murmured. Confessing that hadn't been  
part of the vague plan he'd had when he first decided to pay his best friend  
a visit, but it was the right time to say it. Now, when there were no more  
barriers between them, when they'd opened to each other as far as possible  
between two people. It _needed_ to be said, at least this once, although  
they'd both always known it of each other. It also happened to be true.

"Love you, too," Tommy responded just as softly. Their  
lips met and they kissed, long and deep and very gentle, in marked contrast  
to the teasing banter and plain lust they'd shared before. This, too, was  
necessary  during this first time, that they had come together on their  
own, with nothing to guide them but their feelings for each other. When  
they separated at last, they sported identical smiles, affectionate, relaxed  
and just with a hint of mischief.

"Well?" Tommy asked, runing an idle hand over the smooth  
chest, pasing briefly to tease softened nipples before wandering southward  
to cup the now-limp shaft.

"Well what?" Jason replied, producing a sleepy lion's  
rumble deep in his throat and reciprocated the caress, earning a rueful  
chuckle. Both knew they were out of commission for the moment  this second  
climax had been too intense, not only physically but also emotionally.

"How'd you like it?" the slightly taller young man asked  
his companion casually, knowing his answer already. It was obvious in the  
languid movements and the satisfied grin curving the firm mouth. He got  
an incredulous look in return that turned into a friendly leer when Jason  
recognized the question wasn't meant seriously.

"As well as you did your first time," he answered, grinning  
cheekily. The memory of Tommy's exhausted but utterly satiated face had  
stayed with him for a long time. Tommy couldn't help his slight blush as  
he remembered as well, but recovered almost immediately.

"_That_ well, huh?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Bro," Jason grinned back, feeling  
the pleasant post-orgasmic lassitude receding slowly. "There's nothing  
a little practice can't improve."

"You offering to be my training partner?" Tommy snickered  
back, immeasurably relieved that this new stage in their relationship didn't  
change their easy camaraderie.

"What if I am?" Suddenly, the deep voice was serious once  
more, midnight eyes searching for a truth they both needed to acknowledge  
if there was to be any future for them at all. Tommy faced it unhesitatingly.

"I'd say I can't wish for anyone I'd like more."

"Same here."

"I'm glad," Tommy whispered. The two kissed once more,  
lips and tongues moving together in a dance of gentle passion that stirred  
faint embers, fanning them leisurely until they ignited and started to  
glow with renewed urgency. Hands began to roam over muscular backs, teasing  
taut buttocks until they undulated against each other, laughing and teasing  
while they learned about what made the other gasp with pleasure and moan  
in bliss.

Tommy was kissing his way down Jason's washboard abs,  
his long hair trailing along the heated skin, licking up the dried traces  
of semen on the tanned skin above his tan line when he was abrubtly torn  
out of his absorption by a loud rumble under his cheek. He jerked up, surprised,  
but had to laugh incredulously when the sound came again almost immediately.

"What the hell ...?"

Jason shrugged sheepishly. He was well on his way to a  
new erection, welcomed it wholeheartedly, but it seemed his body was expressing  
another kind of hunger.

"What do you expect? It's been hours since lunch, and  
we've not exactly been idle," he said, indicating to Tommy he meant both  
their earlier activities on the racetrack and their bedroom athletics.

"Granted," Tommy admitted, "but I don't really want to  
stop right now ..." A third loud growl from Jason's stomach interrupted  
him, then was seconded by an answering rumble from Tommy's own belly. The  
two started to laugh, effectively breaking their mood. "That's that, I  
suppose," Tommy chuckled, releasing his lover. "Let's grab a quickie shower  
and go get something to eat."

"Great idea," Jason enthused, rolling out of bed and ambling  
over to the bathroom. "You gonna join me in the shower?" he leered comically.

"I said 'a _quick_ shower', lech," his friend replied,  
giving the cut body an appreciative once-over. _Now_, for the first  
time since he'd started to lust after Jason, he could openly indulge himself.  
He planned on doing a lot of that in the future, knowing that his friend  
was feeling the same, judging from the glitter in the midnight-dark eyes  
when they fastened on his half-erect cock. "Hurry up," he murmured huskily,  
rubbing himself suggestively in an imitation of Jason's own uninhibitedness.

"Right. Shower, food, sex," Jason agreed, not having missed  
a thing. Eyes alight with mirth, he swivelled his hips in blatant invitation,  
licking his lips exaggeratedly as he ogled Tommy's fit form. He disappeared  
quickly inside the bathroom, only barely escaping the pillow Tommy threw  
exasperatedly at his head. Their laughter filled the room, both young men  
revelling in their newfound closeness. From today onwards, they knew they'd  
share whatever the future might hold for either of them.

"I never thought I'd be thankful for one of Old Radiator  
Face's spells," Jason said just as they were about to leave the motel.  
"If he hadn't turned you into a girl ..."

"You'd never have gotten into my pants," Tommy deadpanned,  
pocketing the keycard. "At least not anytime soon."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"

"Well ... maybe," he agreed, thinking of how much he'd  
always admired Jason's incredible physique, even before his awareness had  
turned sexual. "Still, I'm glad we're both guys. Makes things more equal,  
somehow."

"Uh huh. The way we've always been. And will be," Jason  
conceded, getting into the car. "Just wait until we get back ...!"

***

Divatox sauntered over the bridge of her submarine, over  
to her periscope. Her latest monster attack this morning  had been  
foiled by the Rangers, as was becoming annoyingly usual, and she was trying  
to come up with a plan  _any_ plan  to throw a monkey wrench into  
their well-functioning teamwork.

"Maybe if I observe them outside of attacks, it'll give  
me a clue of how to defeat them," the Space Pirate mused as she raised  
the viewing device out of the lake's water, idly scanning through Angel  
Grove. In passing, she took note of several promising locations holding  
jewellery, rare metals and other items that would make a nice addition  
to her coffers. After all, her primary motivation still was the acquisition  
of wealth and unusual items  she _was _a pirate, after all, most  
famous in her clan for her various successful exploits throughout the known  
galaxy.

"But these brats have to be punished first," the voluptous  
woman hissed, bending over to peer into the periscope. "Nobody  and I  
mean _nobody_!!  makes a fool out of La Diva!"

Her skimpy costume rode up high on her hips, almost exposing  
her shapely rear to an appreciative Rygog. On the other side of the sub's  
bridge, Porto's eyes widened as her cleavage almost spilled his Mistress's  
most prominent personal assets to his eager gaze. Both henchmen were careful  
not to let their reaction show, however; Divatox didn't take kindly to  
unwelcome advances, preferring to keep her undeniable physical charms to  
herself, unless there was something to be gained by letting others partake  
of them. And while she wasn't above to summoning either or occasionally  
even both of them to satisfy her appetites, it was always at _her _instigation,  
not theirs. Not that they followed her summons unwillingly -- not at all.  
On the contrary, both aliens were almost indecently eager to serve their  
Mistress in whatever capacity she wanted them to. After all, even henchmutants  
sometimes were rewarded for things well done ... and the prize was definitely  
worth striving for!

"This is pointless!" Divatox snarled angrily, having found  
the Turbo Rangers. "Don't these cursed Power Punks _ever _do anything  
on their own?!? Or something a girl can use against them?"

The Rangers were at Angel Grove High's soccer field, having  
turned out in force to cheer on the purple-and-yellow-clad players as AGH  
scored the first goal against Stone Canyon, with Carlos giving the deciding  
assist to his teammate. TJ, Cassie and Justin high-fived each other on  
the bleachers, Ashley led the Cheerleading Squad into an impressive routine,  
and the former Green Ranger applauded from the bench, shouting instructions  
to his team.

"They'll have to pay for destroying my wedding plans to  
Maligore," the masked Space Pirate muttered to herself, still watching  
her enemies. "I'm NOT letting them get away with it! Momma D would have  
my hide if I did. And when I've finished the Rangers off, I'm going to  
tear their city apart, taking everything that's not nailed down and sell  
it to the highest bidder at the next auction on Onyx!"

"But Auntie Dee," Elgar piped up from the bulkhead he  
was polishing at his relative's orders, "those Rangers didn't exactly bust  
your wedding!"

"WHAT?!?" Divatox screeched, whirling around to glare  
at her dimwitted nephew. "How _dare_ you say that? Have you already  
forgotten that you had to be a substitute for these brats' friends? I can  
arrange for a repeat, if you have," she threatened.

Elgar shivered. He was quite used to being Divatox's scapegoat  
in case something went wrong, but being thrown into the boiling lava pit  
on Muranthias had been something else again. _*Enough to make even a  
Mutant think twice,*_ he admitted to himself. Still, his eternally runaway  
mouth didn't follow through.

"I m-mean, it wasn't _them_," he stammered, cowering  
under her fierce glare. "I-it was th-the others, wasn't it? When _that_  
one was still a Ranger?" He indicated Adam, who was watching AGH's soccer  
team critically, taking his role as coach very seriously.

"That doesn't matter in the least," the Pirate started  
to say, then reconsidered, absently switching off the bridge's general  
monitor, so only she could see what was going on in the periscope's finder.

"Hmm. For once, Elgar, you may have had an actual thought  
in that pointy skull of yours," she murmured, turning back to her periscope.  
"The ones who destroyed Maligore are no longer active Rangers ... are no  
longer under the protection of the Power," the woman thought out loud.  
"And you're right, _they're_ the ones who need to be punished for  
that. And I bet the new Power Puffs will be quite devastated if something  
not nice happened to their predecessors. Which will make me sooooooo sorry,"  
Divatox purred insincerely, warming to the idea. "Well, let's see where  
they all are!"

She'd already found Adam, and Justin  and was angrily  
aware that she couldn't do a thing about them right now. Justin was still  
an active Ranger, and Carlos's predecessor too close to the new team. She'd  
have to wait until she could get him alone. Divatox set her periscope to  
scan for the others. The girls ... Tanya was working at the radio station,  
surrounded by too many people. She, too, would have to wait for later.  
The Pink Ranger ... what was that blonde klutz's name again, oh yes, Katherine  
... the evil plunderer snarled in frustration.

"What in Dark Specter's name is she doing on the other  
side of the planet?!? My teleporters don't reach that far!"

Which left the former Team leader, Tommy. His biosignature  
was not to be found in and around Angel Grove, but he wasn't too far away  
... a few hundred miles inland, in one of the big cities ... not in a crowd,  
but not alone, either ... one other, whose data were stored in the sub's  
banks, too ... one who had been Maligore's Child, if only briefly ... _there!_

Divatox adjusted the focus on her periscope; the distance  
was a bit more than she was used to. At last, she was able to zero in on  
Tommy and her former captive.

"Come to Mama, boys," she purred evilly. "La Diva will  
make you sorry you ever messed up my wedding plans ... when I think I could  
be sharing the mighty Maligore's bed by now, being consumed by the BIG  
Flame of Destructi-- _what the ...?!?_"

Incredulously, the purple-streak-haired woman stared into  
her periscope. It showed her clearly the motel room in Las Vegas, which  
Jason and Tommy had entered only minutes before. To her amazement, the  
two young men were in each other's arms, kissing hotly and stripping their  
clothes off while grinding their hips impatiently together.

"Well, I'll be damned," Divatox breathed, feeling a nearly-forgotten  
sensation curl in her belly. Her half-uncovered breasts began to heave  
as she took in the muscular bodies now writhing together sensually on one  
of the beds. Her henchmen shared puzzled glances, but they had no access  
to what their Mistress was seeing. They only knew that for once, the Pirate  
Queen was equally astounded and excited.

"Oooohhh," Divatox moaned in concert with Jason and Tommy  
as the two arranged themselves in a sixty-nine. "I wouldn't mind getting  
some of that myself!" _*Or having both of their mouths and cocks doing  
me,*_ she added to herself, squirming with her rising lust. _*They  
look as if they know **exactly** what to do with 'em!*_ Right now,  
however, the former Red Turbo Ranger and the intended sacrifice to Maligore  
were busy devouring each other. The Pirate cheered them on silently. _*Come  
on, boys! Suck those pricks!* _She itched to finger her erect nipples,  
but was not about to do so in front of half a school of Piranhatrons.

The two young men didn't oblige her, though. Instead,  
Jason lifted from the hard length he'd been sucking and pounced on his  
lover, who put up no resistance whatsoever, releasing the thick quivering  
shaft from his own mouth as he lay back. Divatox groaned in disappointment,  
plucking unconsciously at her suddenly-too-tight metal-studded costume.  
Before she could react, though, the broad-shouldered man turned his partner  
over on his belly, lifting the narrow hips up high. Enviously, Divatox  
watched as Tommy had his flexing butt nibbled and licked until he was bucking  
backwards impatiently.

"Dammit, I _knew_ I should've sound installed on  
this thing," Divatox complained, remaining glued to her periscope. She  
didn't care that she was perspiring in second-hand excitement, her hips  
undulating lasciviously in the air, much like Tommy's. "I wanna hear them!"

Her eyes glittered with lust as she continued to watch,  
holding her breath in anticipation when Jason liberally coated the upturned  
buttocks with a clear gel and donned a condom. As she'd hoped he would,  
he then parted the pale cheeks and plunged his rampant dick into Tommy,  
burying himself to the hilt in a single stroke. Soon, he was riding his  
partner fast and furiously, stroking the jutting shaft in time with his  
thrusts until Tommy came in his hand. Seconds later, Jason stiffened and  
quite obviously shot his load inside his lover. The two collapsed together  
on the bed, spent and sated.

"What a show," Divatox applauded, turning off the periscope.  
Her eyes burned behind her metal face mask as she straightened, her own  
agitation all too apparent. Sending both Rygog and Porto to her private  
chambers with a jerk of her head  just one wouldn't be enough to satisfy  
her after what she'd just witnessed  she turned the scene over in her  
rapidly-working mind.

"So good old Tommy likes to take it up the ass, does he?"  
she murmured, enjoying the shivers racing down her spine as she reviewed  
the memory. "I bet it wasn't the first time, either  not the way those  
two were going at each other. Which makes me wonder  does what's-his-name  
like a cock up his ass, too? Two hunks like that  who'd have thought it?"

Giving a few rapid-fire orders to her crew, the pirate  
made her way to her quarters, already stripping. She was in the mood for  
fast and furious now herself, and Rygog had better be ready with that tongue  
of his  or he'd be sorry. Very sorry. Flinging herself on her bed, Divatox  
was still thinking about Jason and Tommy, the hot sex she'd witnessed and  
the arousal it engendered in her warring with her desire for revenge. Following  
her orders, Porto and Rygog started to pleasure their Mistress. But even  
as her first climax brought her momentary relief, Divatox wasn't able to  
let go of the images she'd seen.

_*Tommy took it like a girl,*_ she sneered mentally.  
_*All  
willing and ready to be mounted from behind! I wonder if his precious Katherine,  
or that skinny wimp I've caught along with Mr. Hunk here, ever saw him  
like that! Probably not ...*_

"That's it!" Divatox suddenly exclaimed, throwing her  
partners off her body when she sat up abruptly. "THAT's how I'm going to  
pay them back for messing with me! Oh, stop that!" she snarled at Porto,  
when he tried to fondle one of her breasts. "We have things to do!"

"Yes, my Lady," the henchcreature sighed, exchanging a  
resigned look with his colleague. There would be no relief for _them_,  
after all. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

Divatox was already getting dressed.

"What was the name of that planet we looted two years  
ago? The one with all those medicinal plants? Muralis," the Space Pirate  
supplied the answer herself. "They had these herbs ... the ones that did  
so many _interesting_ things to a Human's physiology if used just  
right," she added, smirking evilly.

"Yes, Divatox?" Rygog agreed cautiously. His Mistress  
was dangerous in this mood, as he well knew. He almost pitied the former  
Red Turbo Ranger  he certainly was in for something _extremely _unpleasant.

"I want you to find out the name of that weed, and if  
we still have any," Divatox ordered, hurrying back to her periscope. As  
she'd hoped, Tommy was fucking Jason by now, face to face, the muscular  
legs draped over his shoulders. Both cut bodies were gleaming with sweat  
in the room's light, handsome faces bathed in exquisite ecstasy. _*No  
fair! Why can't they be fucking **me** instead of each other?*_"Rygog!"Quickly,  
her First Officer checked the cargo lists.

"I can't be completely certain, Mistress, but I think  
what you're looking for are _sha'nach _herbs. And yes, there's still  
a supply of them left."

"Take them, modify them to the specifications on the package,  
blast them with the alterator and get some into Tommy and Dark 'n' Handsome,  
I don't care how," the Pirate Queen decreed, laughing maliciously.

"But ... won't that turn them into females?" Porto wondered,  
studying the instructions.

"Exactly," Divatox purred, switching off the periscope.  
Jason and Tommy were slumped together on the motel bed, clearly spent and  
done for the night. "And there's no known antidote  except for the one  
I found in that secret temple before we left Muralis. The old priest was  
_very_ forthcoming once I'd made him and his acolytes take the stuff  
themselves. Only, Tommy and his hunk don't know that ... but they _will  
_know who's responsible for their metamorphosis. They'll be _begging_  
me for the antidote  and I'll make them pay dearly for it. _After_  
they've served me, of course! Now get going, all of you!"

Watching her minions scurry about, Divatox sat back in  
her chair, an evil smile on her lips. How she was going to enjoy having  
two former Rangers as her pleasure slaves! _Much _nicer to look at  
than Porto and Rygog ... Visions of gilded chains gleaming against oiled,  
sculpted  muscles began to fill her mind.

"Oh yes, boys ... Rita has told me a lot about you two  
... and while I'm sure you never meant it _quite_ this way, what was  
it you Power Brats used to say? Oh yes  _'It's Morphin' Time'_!"

Evil laughter echoed through the submarine, and in a motel  
room in Las Vegas, two nude young men shivered in their sleep, instinctively  
moving closer into each other's arms.

 

 

 

 

**The End.**


End file.
